Opting to bat first, the Royals got off to a decent start with the pair of Glenn Phillips (24) and Johnson Charles (13) adding 29 runs for the opening wicket. However, Udana sent shockwaves to the Royals batting unit with his brilliant bowling. He dismissed Charles in the 5th over and then picked up two wickets in his next over, removing Royals skipper Jason Holder (3) and Phillips.
The left-armer then dismissed set batsman Azam Khan (30), followed by his countryman Thisara Perera in the same over to complete his five-wicket haul. It was the first fifer in the ongoing season and third overall for the Knight Riders.
Fidel Edwards and Dwayne Bravo have earlier taken five-wicket hauls for the team when TKR was known as Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel. Overall, it was only the ninth occasion in the history of CPL when a bowler has taken a fifer.
Five wickets in an innings for TKR:
- 5/22 – Fidel Edwards against Barbados Tridents (now Royals), in 2013
- 5/23 – Dwayne Bravo against Jamaica Tallawahs, in 2015
- 5/21 – Isuru Udana against Barbados Royals, in 2021
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After packing Royals for 122, the Knight Riders chased down the target in 16.5 overs. The reigning champions started terribly and lost four wickets for just 38 runs in 7.5 overs. Then, captain Kieron Pollard along with wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Ramdin steadied the innings and completely took the game away from the Royals.
Pollard and Ramdin formed an unbeaten stand of 87 runs to take their team over the finish line. While Ramdin stayed not out on 29 runs, Pollard smashed 30-ball 58 runs with the help of three fours and 6 sixes.
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