TKR coach Phil Simmons challenges Pooran to break CPL batting record

TRINBAGO Knight Riders (TKR) head coach Phil Simmons has challenged top order batsman Nicholas Pooran to surpass the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 record for most runs in a season at the 2024 edition.

Simmons made the call during TKR’s victorious post-match meeting on August 31 after thumping St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by 44 runs in their opening match at Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts.

Pooran’s blitz with the bat, 97 runs from 43 balls, saw TKR post a mammoth 250/4 – the league’s third highest score – and then restrict the hosts to 206/8 en route to a resounding first match triumph.

His early dominance with the bat spurred Simmons on to challenge the left-hander to achieve a record-breaking 2024 season. New Zealander Colin Munro leads the most runs in a season category, courtesy his stellar 567 runs achieved for TKR in the 2018 edition.

Pooran’s most successful CPL season with the bat came in 2023, where he scored 291 runs in total.

His stellar knock of 97 was made up of nine sixes and seven fours. When he struck his sixth six, Pooran became the batter to achieve the most T20 sixes in a calender year, after he surpassed Chris Gayle’s 135.

Pooran now leads the global standings with 139 T20 sixes in a calender year, and the tournament has just begun.

Speaking to Pooran during their dressing room team meeting, Simmons said, “First I think you’ve shown the level you’re on right now and my challenge to you is how far you can put this CPL run record for a season. The kind of form you’re in you shouldn’t have any problem passing it, but it’s how far you can take it.”

Pooran partnered with number five batsman Keacy Carty (73 not out) to build a robust partnership of 122 runs against the Patriots. Carty is now in his second season for TKR, after a late debut in the 2023 edition.

Pooran congratulated his fellow batsmen for a “tremendous” opening effort and Narine also lauded TKR’s bowling attack for a job well done.

Two early wickets courtesy Irish fast bowler Josh Little (2/40) gave TKR a wonder start in defence of their total, as Narine (2/24) and Afghan spinner Waqar Salamkheil (2/41) also shone with the ball. Narine also fired 38 from the bat as an opening batsman.

Narine said, “I think that it was a good effort and especially not (giving away) runs, but picking up those two early wickets in that line up was very crucial. It was a good first game. We set the tone and know what we have to do from now going forward. All the best to the bowlers and continue the good work.”

TKR skipper Kieron Pollard also lauded Pooran and Carty’s match-changing partnership and called the result a “statement victory.”

Coach Simmons believes TKR got the outcome they wanted and wants to maintain their winning ways as the tourney progresses.

“It’s the first game in a long tournament and yes, we have to enjoy every win that we have. We got to make sure and understand there’s a lot of cricket to play, and we cannot drop the standard we have set today.

“We didn’t set the best standard, the levels that everyone can achieve, in our fielding, but in our batting and in our thinking and bowling, we have set our standards. So let’s make sure that we can go hard to keep that standard as we go along.”

TKR’s next match bowls off on September 5 against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in North Sound, Antigua.