TKR coach Nayar: Pooran, Russell bolster our chances of fifth CPLT20 crown

TRINBAGO KNIGHT Riders (TKR) coach Abhishek Nayar believes 2022 team additions Nicholas Pooran and Andre Russell may serve as key elements in the franchise’s pursuit of a historic fifth Caribbean Premier League T20 crown.

TKR open their campaign in match two against last year’s runners-up St Lucia Kings at Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts next Thursday.

The first CPLT20 contest bowls off the day before, with defending champions St Kitts and Nevis Patriots hosting Jamaica Tallawahs at the same venue.

Nayar confirmed the arrival of ten TKR players in St Kitts on Monday. The remainder, particularly those who played for West Indies in the One Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand in Barbados, and other foreign-based players, will arrive in the coming days.

TKR have retained their core of TT players, among them skipper Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Jayden Seales, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Akeal Hosein, Terrance Hinds, Leonardo Julien and Tion Webster.

Internationals Colin Munro, Tim Seifert, Ali Khan, Seekkuge Prashana and Maheesh Theekshana are also in the set-up alongside the team’s only newcomer, Shaaron Lewis of TT.

The inclusion of West Indies white-ball captain Pooran and Russell, who is also a part of the Knight Riders franchise in the Indian Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders, adds to wealth of TKR talent gunning for a fifth CPLT20 crown.

“This season I think we have a stronger unit,” Nayar said in Monday’s virtual press briefing. “There have been a few changes in the set-up, with ‘Russ’ and Pooran coming in which strengthens our batting a lot.”

“We have a good mix of experience and youth. We have a very strong team. We’re looking forward to a good, successful season. The target we’ve set for ourselves is the championship and nothing less than that.

“Last year wasn’t a season that went up to high expectations, but I think we’ve had that behind us and we’ll always bounce back.”

The coach confirmed that players who have already arrived in St Kitts held their first training session on Monday.

Nayar said keeping the core of TT players was crucial in maintaining a positive mindset among the TKR squad.

“We always tried to retain our core, make sure that we have a lot of players from Trinidad, because we believe that gives us the best chance to win that championship – the camaraderie, the unity that we normally have.

“Often teams talk about being a family, I think just playing at the domestic club level together as well as club level, and then transitioning to playing for TKR, makes it a lot easier for the support staff. because you don’t have to work on the guys getting together and enjoying themselves together.

“It’s about just getting it tactically right and making sure that most strategies are in place because the team unity and camaraderie is already there.”

TKR are the only team to have won the CPLT20 title four times (2015, 2017, 2018, 2020).

The finals will be hosted by Guyana for the next three years, starting in 2022.