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Bravo just wants to play – Former TKR skipper happy to be led by Pollard

Pollard had big shoes to fill, as Bravo had led the TKR to back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018.

The big West Indies captain, the most experienced T20 player in the history of the format, lost to eventual champions Barbados Tridents in the second qualifier for the competition’s final in 2019.

Still, he has retained his position as skipper in the team and has the blessing of his predecessor.

CEO of the TKR, Venky Mysore, revealed recently that Bravo, though very successful as captain of the team, had, for a long time, wanted to pass the baton, but he had delayed the action.

"The champion DJ Bravo has been coming to me year after year and asking me to give someone else the captaincy because he wants to just concentrate on playing and enjoying the game,” said Mysore.

Bravo, who recently came out of international retirement, has also played under Pollard for the West Indies and has lauded his approach to captaincy.

“I always told him not until I am ready and that time has come and he is very happy to play under Pollard,” said Mysore.

The TKR will open the CPL season against last year’s beaten finalists, the Guyana Amazon Warriors on August 18.

“Pollard was kind enough to accept the position to lead the team at the tournament. He said if we wanted him to do it he will and we said that we will be delighted to have him as captain again,” said Mysore.

CPL teams unhappy with TKR ‘advantage’

The grievance appears to have been caused because local players from the TKR did not join the bio-secure bubble at the Hylton Hotel, continuing to train.

The first teams allowed to train were announced on Tuesday with the St Lucia Zouks and the Knight Riders getting the go ahead. According to a release from the CPL, local players had gone through the mandatory testing process and would this week enter the bubble.

“Everyone should have been part of the bubble from the first day to “guarantee” that the health and safety of all stakeholders is not “compromised”, read a social media post from Zouks skipper Daren Sammy.

"How can everybody else be in a bubble no access to training or practice games while others on the outside in a COVID infected area be training and playing practice games. Then allowed to join the bubble without self-isolation," read another from the Zouks skipper.

According to reports, defending champions, Barbados Tridents have also not taken kindly to the difference being shown to the local TKR players and asked why it was that all players from the franchise were not asked to enter the bubble and undergo the mandatory weeklong quarantine everybody else did.

But according to Michael Hall, operations director of the CPL, it was necessary to take precautions to ensure local players entering the bubble were not a threat to the environment’s bio-security.

In search of new challenges, TKR's DJ Bravo requests trade to St Kitts and Nevis Patriots

“At this stage of my career, I needed a new challenge, which is to work with new talent for the benefit of Cricket West Indies,” Bravo said in the statement released by the four-time CPL champions.

“Also, becoming part of a new franchise SKNP will provide me with a new channel in CPL.

“I want to thank TKR for respecting my wishes and for all their support over the years. I also appreciate everything they have done for Trinidad and Tobago in general.”

“Also, becoming part of a new franchise SKNP will provide me with a new channel in CPL. I want to thank TKR for respecting my wishes and for all their support over the years. I also appreciate everything they have done for Trinidad and Tobago in general.”

Venky Moore, Director of TKR, thanked Bravo for his contribution to the team and welcomed back Ramdin to the fold.

“DJ Bravo has been instrumental in not only building TKR into a champion team but also captained the team which earned three championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. We are sad to see him leave but we respect his wishes and his desire to help Caribbean cricket,” he said.

“We welcome back Denesh Ramdin to the TKR family and look forward to the 2021 season and defending or title.”

Moore also announced that Kieron Pollard has been retained as captain and that his vice-captain will be  Sunil Narine.

Munro defeats Sodhi in final of CPL eSports series

The Knight Riders won the toss and put the Patriots into bat and the first over of the final was full of drama with Khary Pierre picking up both Patriots’ openers with Evin Lewis and Chris Lynn dismissed going for big shots.

That left the Patriots 10-2 at the end of the first over, and that became 17-3 when Sodhi was caught in the ring off the bowling of Ali Khan.

Things didn’t improve when Nick Kelly was run out for a diamond duck to leave the Patriots innings in tatters at 18-4.

Sunil Narine kept the carnage coming when he bowled Ben Dunk for 6 and then did the same to Denesh Ramdin two balls later to leave the Patriots at 22-6.

Fawad Ahmad’s introduction into the attack only further cemented the Patriots’ woes as three more wickets fell, two of them soft run-outs as the batting team finished with 32 all out.

It was a small target but Munro was still feeling the pressure. The Patriots could have had Lendl Simmons dismissed in the first over but Chris Lynn put down a tough chance off Alzarri Joseph at mid-off.

At the other end, Narine found the boundary twice before Simmons was gone, dismissed by Imran Khan. By the end of the second over the Knight Riders were 18/1 with 16 needed from 18 balls.

Sodhi brought himself on to bowl and after a tricky start thanks to two wides, he came back well to get Narine bowled for 10.

That left the Knight Riders needing 11 from 12 and a powerful on-drive for four from Pollard seemed to swing things in his team's favour before he was yet another runout.

At the start of the last over five were needed and the Knight Riders seemed happy to get there in singles, but a wide and a no-ball from Sheldon Cottrell also helped.

It was Munro who hit the winning runs, cover driving for two to win the game by seven wickets with one ball to spare in a thrilling last-over finish to seal the first-ever CPL Esports title.