Daijiworld Media Network – Trinidad

Trinidad, Sep 2: Former West Indies captain Kieron Pollard turned back the clock with a ruthless display of power-hitting as Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) defeated St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by 12 runs in their Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025 clash in Trinidad on Monday.

Walking in at No 5, pollard blazed his way to 65 runs off just 29 deliveries, smashing two boundaries and eight towering sixes. The highlight of his innings was the carnage of seven sixes in eight balls, which left the patriots bowlers shell-shocked.

The 38-year-old took Navian Bidaisee apart in the 15th over, launching three sixes in the last four balls. He then punished Waqar Salamkheil with four consecutive sixes in the very next over, much to the delight of the home crowd.

Pollard shared a whirlwind 90-run stand with Nicholas Pooran for the fourth wicket and brought up his half-century in just 21 balls. With this knock, he further cemented his legacy as one of T20 cricket’s greatest hitters. Last week, Pollard became only the second batter after Chris Gayle to surpass 14,000 runs in the format. He now has 950 career sixes, second only to Gayle’s 1,056.

Chasing 180 for victory, Patriots could manage only 167/6 in 20 overs despite Andre Fletcher’s valiant 67 off 54 balls. TKR, co-owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, sealed a crucial 12-run win.

Pollard, who was adjudged man of the match, reflected on his innings:

"I wouldn’t say this is the form of my life. I’ve been here for over 20 years. It’s about enjoying cricket, giving the fans and my family something to cherish. It’s more mental now — about preparation, processes, and understanding the situation. Over time, I’ve come to play my game, not the opposition’s."