On Sunday, the Trinbago Knight Riders made history in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) by becoming the first team to receive a red card penalty. Led by Kieron Pollard, the team was unable to complete 19 out of the 20 overs within the designated time limit, resulting in the penalty. Consequently, they were forced to play with only 10 players during the last over, rather than the usual 11, and were also limited to having a maximum of two fielders positioned outside the 30-yard circle. In response, Pollard made the decision to remove Sunil Narine from the field for the final over.
As per the CPL’s new regulations, a team can have a maximum of four players stationed outside the 30-yard circle as a penalty if they fail to commence the 18th over on time. Should the same issue arise at the commencement of the 19th over, another player is required to be inside the circle, with a maximum of three allowed outside the 30-yard zone. If a bowling team doesn’t initiate the 20th over on time, a penalty necessitates another player to be inside the circle, causing one player to leave the field.
Speaking in the aftermath of the match, Pollard expressed his frustration: “To be honest, it will take away the hard work everyone has done (prior to the penalties). We are like the pawns and we are going to do what we are told. We are going to play as fast as we can. If you are penalized for 30-45 seconds in a tournament like this, it is absolutely ridiculous.”
The penalty had a significant impact on the game, as Dwayne Bravo conceded 18 runs against Sherfane Rutherford in the last over of the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots’ innings. Rutherford’s unbeaten 62 off 38 balls played a crucial role in helping his team reach a total of 178 for 5 in 20 overs. Narine emerged as the standout bowler for the Knight Riders, securing figures of 3 for 24 in his four overs.
