CPL 2025: Trinbago Knight Riders Win Record Fifth Title in Guyana Thriller

Trinbago Knight Riders claimed their fifth Caribbean Premier League title on 21 September 2025 at Providence Stadium in Guyana, defeating the Guyana Amazon Warriors by 3 wickets in a low-scoring, high-tension final. Warriors posted 130/8 from their 20 overs; TKR found themselves at 116/7 needing 15 runs from the final 22 balls. Akeal Hosein, the left-arm spinner turned lower-order finisher, sealed the win with a six and a four off consecutive balls from Gudakesh Motie — completing TKR's chase at 133/7 with two balls to spare.

Akeal Hosein's Match-Winning Cameo

Akeal Hosein is primarily known as a wicket-taking left-arm spinner — he has represented West Indies in T20Is and has been a consistent performer in the CPL for TKR across multiple seasons. His batting is rarely expected to be decisive. In the 2025 CPL final, with TKR seven wickets down and needing 15 from 22 balls, Hosein walked to the crease and took Gudakesh Motie — Guyana's best spinner — for a six and a four from consecutive deliveries to seal the match. It was the kind of unlikely moment that defines knockout cricket: a bowler's match-winning contribution with the bat in the most pressurised situation.

TKR's Five CPL Titles: The Most by Any Franchise

The 2025 CPL title was Trinbago Knight Riders' fifth, making them the most successful franchise in the competition's history. TKR had previously won in 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2022. The franchise — based in Trinidad and Tobago and part of the Knight Riders group that also owns the Kolkata Knight Riders and New York Knight Riders — has built consistent title-winning squads by combining West Indian stars with international overseas picks. Their ability to win in Guyana, in front of a crowd heavily supporting the Amazon Warriors as a home fixture, underscored their consistency under pressure.

CPL 2025 Tournament Overview

The 2025 CPL ran from 14 August to 21 September 2025. The tournament features a double round-robin group stage followed by a playoff. Guyana Amazon Warriors were the runners-up for the fourth time in CPL history — the franchise has reached the most finals of any CPL team but won the title only once (2019). TKR's win continued the Knight Riders group's exceptional 2025 year across global franchise cricket — adding the CPL title alongside multiple other league successes in the same calendar year.