In a historic moment within the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) captain, Kieron Pollard, issued a red card for the first time in CPL history. The recipient of this action was star spinner Sunil Narine, who was instructed to leave the field during the last over of the innings.
This noteworthy incident occurred during the initial innings of match number 12, which featured a clash between TKR and St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots. The venue for this encounter was Warner Park in St. Kitts, taking place on Sunday, August 27th.
In an attempt to address the issue of sluggish over rates that have been increasingly problematic, this year’s edition of the CPL introduced an innovative red-card rule. According to this rule, the fielding team is required to play with one less fielder if they fall behind the stipulated time frame as they enter the final over. Additionally, they must position a fifth and sixth fielder within the inner circle if they are lagging behind at the commencement of the 18th and 19th overs.
The Trinbago Knight Riders faced a dual setback due to this rule. They found themselves constrained to position merely three fielders outside the circle during the penultimate over. Subsequently, they were left with only ten players for the ultimate over of the innings.
This strategic shift led to significant consequences for TKR, as the skipper of the Patriots, Sherfane Rutherford, seized the opportunity. He pummeled veteran Dwayne Bravo for an impressive 18 runs during the final over, propelling the Patriots to a total score of 178/5 in their allocated 20 overs.
SENT OFF! The 1st ever red card in CPL history. Sunil Narine gets his marching orders 🚨 #CPL23 #SKNPvTKR #RedCard #CricketPlayedLouder #BiggestPartyInSport pic.twitter.com/YU1NqdOgEX
— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 28, 2023
Sunil Narine had demonstrated his prowess as the standout performer among the TKR bowlers, delivering a commendable performance with figures of 3/24 across his four overs before exiting the field for the climactic over of the innings.