Pooran changed the momentum of the innings in a flash with a brilliant reply to Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman who was smashed for three consecutive sixes in the ninth over. His explosive hitting helped Trinbago Knight Riders post 147/6 before they went on to beat Barbados Tridents by 35 runs.
Mujeeb came into the attack as Barbados looked to put the brakes on the TKR innings. However, Pooran had other plans.
After a quiet start, the left-hander launched the spinner for three sixes in a row. The first went straight down the ground before Pooran followed it up with another maximum. He then cleared the boundary again to complete a stunning sequence of three consecutive sixes.
The attack instantly shifted the momentum in favour of TKR and gave Pooran the platform to push towards a big score.
Pooran leads TKR to competitive total
Pooran finished as TKR’s top scorer with an impressive 59 off 37 balls. His innings included two fours and seven sixes as he played a key role in taking the Knight Riders to 147/6 in their 20 overs.
Pooran had earlier taken his time before accelerating against the Tridents attack. His partnership with Colin Munro also helped TKR recover and build a competitive total.
Despite being taken for three successive sixes, Mujeeb responded well and finished the match with figures of 2/22 from his four overs.
The Afghanistan spinner dismissed Colin Munro and Jyd Goolie, while also keeping the scoring under control after his expensive over. His spell was one of the better bowling performances for Barbados on a difficult night.
Barbados Tridents struggled during their chase and were eventually bowled out for 112 in 18.3 overs.
Sunil Narine was the star with the ball for TKR, finishing with 4/12, while Jyd Goolie claimed three wickets. The combined effort helped Trinbago Knight Riders secure a comfortable 35-run victory.
Pooran’s three successive sixes off Mujeeb, however, remained one of the biggest highlights of the match. The sequence once again showed why the West Indies batter is regarded as one of the most dangerous power-hitters in T20 cricket.
Mujeeb-ur-Rahman has been named in Afghanistan’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against India, which begins on September 13. He will share the spin bowling duties with the likes of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad.