Last Updated on 4 months by Charbel Coorey

CPL 2021 Match 4: TKR vs BR Dream11 & Fan2Play Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | TKR vs BR Dream11 Prediction Today | Trinbago Knight Riders vs Barbados Royals Key Players | St Kitts Pitch Report

All good things come to an end, right? That was certainly the case for champions Trinbago Knight Riders, who lost their first game since 2019 with a nine-run defeat in the tournament opener.

TKR’s 12-game unbeaten run, which included an unbeaten 2020 campaign, was broken. Kieron Pollard’s men will be aiming for a much-improved showing on day two of CPL 2021, particularly with the bat after failing to chase down Guyana’s 142. The penultimate-over maiden was particularly remarkable, so TKR’s finishing will be in focus as they look to get going in 2021.

The new name for Barbados Royals didn’t quite bring the new luck. They were blown away by Sherfane Rutherford, Dwayne Bravo and Fabian Allen on the opening night, conceding 136 runs in the last 12.5 overs after reducing St Kitts to 38/4. Three bowlers, including skipper Jason Holder, went at over 10 an over, and just two batsmen crossed 25 in a harrowing 21-run defeat. Indeed, such circumstances call for a much better team performance.

So, who will shake off the rust and get on the board first in CPL 2021?

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Trinbago Knight Riders:

• Sunil Narine was back at his economical best in the CPL opener (2/17). However, Narine has struggled for TKR against Barbados, with just four wickets in nine matches against them. He does have a decent batting record, though, with 147 runs runs at a strike rate of 150 (avg. 24).
• Darren Bravo has the most runs in TKR-BR matches (307, avg. 25.58). However, he averages below 23 batting at five in T20s, which is where he batted yesterday.
• Kieron Pollard has an outstanding record for TKR against his former franchise. In five matches, Pollard has slammed 159 runs at a strike rate of 191.57 (avg. 39.75). This includes an unbelievable 72 (28) last season. Also, Pollard averages above 40 and strikes above 150 in 13 T20s at Warner Park.
• Colin Munro struck 50 off 30 balls in TKR’s first match against Barbados last season. Overall, though, Munro has a sub-par record vs BR, with 235 runs in 11 matches at an average/strike rate of 21.36/126.34.
• Akeal Hossain is in some fine touch, after an impressive showing vs Australia recently and 2/17 on this ground yesterday.
• Jayden Seales took three wickets in two matches vs Barbados last season. He remains a key wicket-taking option, especially after a fruitful Test series against Pakistan.

Barbados Royals:

• Johnson Charles enjoys playing against TKR. He scored 52 (33) and 47 (37) last season, part of 247 runs in five matches at an average of 49.40 and strike rate of 125.28.
• Shai Hope (44 off 38 balls yesterday) is the accumulator in this BR side, but needs others to perform around him.
• One such player is Glenn Phillips. He had an off day yesterday (5 runs and run-out of opening partner), and will be hoping to bounce back against a team he has a good record against: 8 inns, 255 runs, avg. 31.88, SR 146.55.
• Jason Holder is crucial to his team’s chances. He has taken 14 wickets in 13 matches vs TKR, along with 131 runs at 21.83. Key player with bat and ball.
• Kyle Mayers top-scored for Barbados in CPL 2020 (222 runs, avg. 24.66, SR 111.55). He scored 42 (37) in his last meeting vs TKR.
• Hayden Walsh (0/25 off two overs) had a poor outing yesterday. Barbados will be hoping he bounces back against a team whom he has a good record against: 5 inns, 10 wickets.
• Oshane Thomas was easily the pick of the Barbados bowlers yesterday, with 3/22. He has just the two wickets in four matches vs TKR at an expensive economy rate of 10.29.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 17, TKR 10, BR 7.
• Lendl Simmons scored the most runs of any player in CPL 2020 (356, avg. 39.55). He scored 21 and 32 against Barbados last season, so TKR will be hoping he can build on those numbers this season.
• TKR’s defeat yesterday was their first in 13 CPL matches. BR have lost seven of their past 10 games.

Possible Playing XI

Trinbago Knight Riders: 1. Lendl Simmons, 2. Sunil Narine, 3. Colin Munro, 4. Tim Seifert, 5. Darren Bravo, 6. Denesh Ramdin (wk), 7. Kieron Pollard (c), 8. Isuru Udana, 9. Akeal Hossain, 10. Ravi Rampaul, 11. Jayden Seales

Barbados Royals: 1. Glenn Phillips, 2. Johnson Charles, 3. Shai Hope (wk), 4. Jason Holder (c), 5. Kyle Mayers, 6. Azam Khan, 7. Thisara Perera, 8. Ashley Nurse, 9. Hayden Walsh, 10. Mohammad Amir, 11. Oshane Thomas

Warner Park Basseterre St. Kitts Pitch Report and Weather

CPL 2021 has seen two scores in excess of 170 in the first three games. Should the batsmen get in, there are runs to be had with an easy-paced surface and shorter boundaries. The weather is set to be warm and clear.

Fantasy Cricket

Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

TKR vs BR Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Trinbago Knight Riders vs Barbados Royals Prediction

TKR have the better record against BR, and Kieron Pollard’s men look more balanced and confident than their opponents, despite the first-up defeat. BR have the talent to perform, but TKR have the proven pedigree.