Port of Spain, Aug 14 (IANS) Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) have announced Nicholas Pooran as their new captain for the upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025. Pooran will take over the mantle of leadership from the legendary Kieron Pollard, who has led the side with distinction since 2019, guiding them to their record fourth title in 2020.

“It means a lot, first and foremost, to represent Trinbago Knight Riders. It is a privilege that I’m getting the opportunity to lead this franchise. I want to give it my best shot and hopefully make as many correct decisions as I can. It’s a responsibility that has been passed on from (Dwayne) Bravo (2013-2019) to Pollard (2019-2024) and now to me. For me, the most satisfying thing is that Pollard is still playing, Sunil (Narine) and Andre (Russell) are here too. That’s a lot of experience I can bank on. To lead them on the field – it means a lot to me,” Pooran said.

“I started my career at the age of 17 right here, playing for T&T Red Steel, where Bravo was my captain. Then, after recovering from a career-threatening accident I suffered in 2015, Pollard picked me in the Barbados franchise, where he was my captain. All three of us finally ended up together at TKR a couple of years back, and even though we haven’t won a title together yet, I’m hopeful that we can do it this year.”

Pollard’s reign as captain was marked by consistency and tactical brilliance. Between 2019 and 2024, under his leadership, the Trinbago Knight Riders not only clinched the 2020 CPL title – their fourth trophy in the competition – but did it with a record unbeaten season (12 out of 12 wins), before making two more playoff appearances, cementing their status as the league’s most consistent team.

While handing over the reins, Pollard said, “I got an opportunity to lead my home franchise for the last six years, and it has been special walking out leading Trinbago Knight Riders in front of packed stadiums around the Caribbean. I believe grooming the next generation is very important. With Bravo coming on board this year as the new head coach, we felt this was the right time to get a new captain in.

“Pooran is homegrown, and I think this is the right opportunity for him. We’ve actually been preparing him for this over the years. I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be playing for, but I’m happy for the opportunity to still be on the field and help Nicholas ease into this role. He’s someone who we’ve seen grow in front of us, and he understands our values and principles. He understands how we want to play cricket, he understands the winning culture that we want to create, and he shares a lot of respect with a lot of players around the world. So for me, it was an easy decision to hand over the captaincy to Pooran.”

Pooran, the wicketkeeper-batter, has long been regarded as one of the best T20 players globally. He holds the record as the youngest player to debut in the CPL, making his first appearance in 2013 at the age of 17. Since then, he has carved an exceptional career, becoming one of the most destructive batters in the game, amassing over 9,000 runs across global T20 leagues with a strike rate hovering around 149.

Commenting on the development, Venky Mysore, CEO of Knight Rider Sports, said, “We are delighted that Nicholas Pooran will carry the leadership baton forward in a smooth transition from Kieron Pollard. Our sincere thanks to Pollard for his leadership and contributions. Pooran understands our winning culture and the responsibility that comes with leading this franchise. As he teams up with head coach (Champion) Bravo, we are excited to see them teaming up for hopefully, another successful season for TKR.”

In the 2024 season, Pooran was at his brilliant best for TKR, smashing 504 runs in 11 matches at an average of 56.00, reaffirming his ability to dominate any attack. His fearless approach, coupled with his sharp cricketing brain, makes him the ideal successor to carry forward the TKR winning culture, this time under the guidance of head coach Dwayne Bravo.

Sharing his thoughts on the transition, Bravo said, “When it comes to leadership, it’s important to plan for the future. Once I felt I had achieved enough as the captain of Red Steel (2013, 2014) and TKR (2015 to 2019), I wanted to see who the next best person was to take over, to make sure that the legacy continues and the franchise remains in safe hands. At that time, Pollard was the best person for that role. Until I retired (in 2024), it was good to play under his captaincy, someone I regard as one of the best leaders in this format. Pollard and I share similar values in life, on and off the field.”

“In that same way, we are now transitioning to Pooran, who is someone who has been playing and learning a lot about cricket from us as players. He’s the right choice, and this is the right time. Just like I did six years ago, Pollard has now decided to hand over the leadership to someone who we think is on the verge of being one of the greatest T20 players. We want to make sure that we’re there to support him and give him everything he needs to embark on this journey.”

TKR will begin their 2025 CPL campaign against St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots at Warner Park on August 17.

–IANS

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