By Roger Seepersad

Copyright trinidadexpress

It will be “do-or-die” for the Trinbago Knight Riders and the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons when they square off in the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League Eliminator from 8 p.m. at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence.

Having replaced former three-time champions Jamaica Tallawahs in 2024, the Falcons have been on the rise. The newest CPL franchise missed out on a playoff berth in 2024 but managed to squeeze into the top-four this time around with victories in their final two group games against the Barbados Royals and Guyana Amazon Warriors.

In contrast, the star-studded TKR have slumped to three straight losses against the defending champions St Lucia Kings in Trinidad followed by defeats on the road against the Amazon Warriors and the Royals. Those losses saw the Nicholas Pooran-led outfit drop from second to third on the final standings following the completion of the last league stage match at Providence on Sunday night.

The drop is significant in the context of the playoffs. TKR now have to win the Eliminator and then Qualifier Two to reach the title match. There is no room for error for either them or the Falcons.

TKR captain Nicholas Pooran admitted his team must step up in the crunch and noted that it is not the first time they have to take the “long route” to the final.

“For us, we believe if we have to be successful, we have to beat everyone. Playoffs are a different type of cricket and a different type of pressure and we are accustomed to that. That’s when individuals need to step up and make it count. From a group perspective, we know we have the work cut out to do,” Pooran said at yesterday’s playoffs news conference.

Of their opponents, Pooran said the Falcons have challenged them in the past and the conditions in Guyana could prove favourable to their opponents.

“We’re not going to allow the toss to have an impact on the game. When we batted first, it’s been quite tricky for us — we’ve been losing a lot of wickets in the Powerplay. But when we batted second, we’ve won games convincingly,” said Pooran.

“Coming into playoffs, even if we bat first in tricky conditions, we need to dig deep, fight and give ourselves a chance. We trust our bowlers to get the job done. It’s crunch time and we all need to put our hands up,” he added.

On the other side, Falcons skipper Imad Wasim is proud of his team’s progress but knows the task ahead will be tough.

“Our journey has been fantastic. The first box has been ticked — getting into the playoffs. We are a few wins away from the final. All the teams are fantastic. We just want to showcase what we have, enjoy the game, entertain the fans and ultimately, play in the right spirit,” Wasim indicated.

“Performance is not guaranteed, but attitude matters. The attitude of these guys is fantastic. Inside the rope, they give 100%. Yes, you are here to win this trophy, but it’s one game at a time. Our pieces of the puzzle are coming together,” he continued.

TKR will lean on the experience of Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Akeal Hosein, Colin Munro, Ali Khan and Pooran himself, while the Falcons will count on Imad, Shakib Al-Hasan, Amir Jangoo and Jayden Seales, who have all stood up recently.

The head-to-head record stands at 1-1 with both teams winning their respective home fixture against their opponent, but momentum could prove decisive.

Former West Indies pacer Tony Gray said TKR must rediscover their earlier form when they bounced back from a second-round defeat to win five straight matches to qualify first for the playoffs.

“I think that TKR lost some momentum and have not been able to recuperate. And without Mohammad Amir, the other players would have to be a lot more consistent where the bowling is concerned,” he said. Gray added that losing before the playoffs could “ignite a lot more fire and focus for the players knowing what the stakes are.”

While all the teams in the playoffs have a real shot at the title, Gray is keeping his eyes on the “professional” Kings and the “experienced” TKR heading into the business end of the tournament.

Tomorrow night at Providence, the hosts take on the defending champions in Qualifier One. Qualifier Two will be contested on Friday, with the final on Sunday. All playoff matches start at 8 p.m.