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The Eliminator clash will be the 26th time the Royals meet the Knight Riders in CPL history.
The Caribbean Premier League 2024 enters the knock-out phase with Barbados Royals taking on Trinbago Knight Riders in the eliminator on Tuesday at the Guyana National Stadium in Guyana.
The winner will meet the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2. It will be either Saint Lucia Kings or Guyana Amazon Warriors. The winning side of that clash will book a CPL 2024 final berth.
This is the 26th meeting between the sides in CPL history, with the Knight Riders enjoying a better head-to-head record with 16 wins. The Royals lost both their home and away matches in the CPL 2024 to the Knight Riders, the last one coming in their previous match. Thus, Tuesday would be the perfect setting for the Royals to avenge their defeats.
The batting unit of the Royals has a lot to do. Though Quinton De Kock still leads the batting charts in the league with 434 runs, he has not been able to replicate his past dominance in the last couple of matches. Alick Athanaze has been steady, but skipper Rovman Powell, Kadeem Alleyne, Jason Holder and Rahkeem Cornwall have all been inconsistent. They need to be more assured of their shot-hitting in the knock-out fixture. David Miller has picked up in the last couple of matches, and the Royals will be counting on him to give the team a late flourish.
The bowling front, however, has been impressive. Even in the last loss against the Knight Riders, the bowlers were on the mark. Maheesh Theekshana has been the Royals' main personnel with 15 wickets to his name. A lot will rest on him on Tuesday. Pacers Obed McCoy, Jason Holder and Naveen-ul-Haq have taken 30 wickets amongst them but have proved to be expensive at times. Keshav Maharaj has been fairly consistent in his seven outings for the team.
The Knight Riders enter the fixture on the back of a massive 74-run victory over table toppers, Warriors. They will be taking a lot of confidence into Tuesday’s match, having defeated the Royals by 30 runs the last time they met.
In the batting front, Nicholas Pooran has been leading from the front. He scored an impressive century against the Warriors in their previous match and would like to carry that momentum into this game. He will be first on the Royals' hitlist. Apart from him, Keacy Carty and Keiron Pollard have also been solid. The openers, Jason Roy and Shaqkere Parris, have been inconsistent and that's a weakness the Royals need to target to ensure early setbacks.
When it comes to bowling, their Afghan spinner Waqar Salamkheil has been dominant with 15 wickets this season. Akeal Hosein has also been crucial, as well as, Terrance Hinds. If Sunil Narine plays, he will also be formidable. The pacers, however, have been expensive and that's an avenue the Royals' batter should seek to put runs on the board.
CPL 2024, Eliminator: Trinbago Knight Riders vs Barbados Royals
Venue: Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
Date & Time: October 1, 7:00 PM local time | 4:30 AM IST (October 2)
Where to watch: Star Sports Network and FanCode
Maheesh Theekshana: The ever-consistent Sri Lankan has been the Royals’ strongest bowler this season. Not only has he taken the most wickets, with 15 to his name, but he has also been the most economical with an economy rate of 5.87. Guyana is known for its spin-friendly wicket, and that gives Theekshana an added advantage against the Knight Riders.
Alick Athanaze: The 25-year-old West Indian upped his ante in the previous match. Though the Royals lost, Athanaze high-scored with 44 runs off 33 balls. Till he was on the pitch, a win looked possible and that’s what he has to carry into the next game. He has the shots and the talent to win games and alongside de Kock, needs to set a solid target on the board.
Barbados Royals: Rovman Powell (captain), Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Keshav Maharaj, Alick Athanaze, Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Nathan Sealy, Rahkeem Cornwall, Rivaldo Clarke, Dunith Wellalage, Isai Thorne, Kadeem Alleyne, Maheesh Theekshana, Naveen-ul-Haq, Nyeem Young, Obed McCoy, Ramon Simmonds, Kevin Wickham
Trinbago Knight Riders: Kieron Pollard (captain), Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, Waqar Salamkheil, Terrance Hinds, Keacy Carty, Shaqkere Parris, Jason Roy, Josh Little, Nathan Edward
