Rahkeem Cornwall Wrecks TKR Powerplay as Falcons Win CPL 2026 Thriller by 8 Runs

Published September 3, 2026

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons recovered from 62/3 through Hasan Nawaz and Moeen Ali before Rahkeem Cornwall dismantled Trinbago Knight Riders’ top order, helping the Falcons defend 183/4 and win CPL 2026 Match 24 by eight runs at Queen’s Park Oval.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Trinbago Knight Riders scored 63 runs in the Powerplay while chasing 184 against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.

For most T20 teams, that would represent a strong start.

The problem was the other number attached to it: four wickets.

Colin Munro, Sunil Narine, Alex Hales and Nicholas Pooran were all gone before the seventh over began, leaving Kieron Pollard and the middle order trying to repair a chase that had already consumed most of TKR’s established top-order firepower.

Antigua had experienced their own difficult phase earlier in the night, slipping to 62/3 after 9.1 overs. The difference was how the two teams responded.

Hasan Nawaz and Moeen Ali added 108 for the fourth wicket, carrying the Falcons from uncertainty to 183/4. Hasan produced his best innings of the tournament with 76 from 48 balls, while Moeen finished unbeaten on 32 from 24.

TKR never found an equivalent recovery without simultaneously fighting the required rate.

Pollard battled through injury for 41 from 36 balls and Joshua Da Silva produced an outstanding unbeaten 54 from 31, but Antigua’s early wickets gave their bowlers enough protection to withstand the late resistance. TKR eventually finished on 175/7, eight runs short.

The result moved Antigua to 11 points and returned them to the top of the CPL 2026 standings, strengthening a playoff campaign that had entered the final league phase with very little margin for error.

For defending champions Trinbago, another home defeat leaves their postseason hopes hanging by a thread.

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons vs Trinbago Knight Riders: Match 24 Summary

Match Detail	Information
Competition	Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League 2026
Match	Match 24
Date	September 2, 2026
Venue	Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad
Toss	Trinbago Knight Riders elected to field
Antigua and Barbuda Falcons	183/4 in 20 overs
Trinbago Knight Riders	175/7 in 20 overs
Result	Antigua and Barbuda Falcons won by 8 runs
Player of the Match	Rahkeem Cornwall
Falcons top scorer	Hasan Nawaz, 76 off 48 balls
TKR top scorer	Joshua Da Silva, 54* off 31 balls
Best bowling	Rahkeem Cornwall, 3/17 from 3 overs

The result and match schedule are also recorded on the official Cricket West Indies CPL 2026 match center, while the official CPL match report confirmed Antigua’s return to the top of the standings.

TL;DR: What Happened in CPL 2026 Match 24?

• Antigua and Barbuda Falcons defeated Trinbago Knight Riders by eight runs.
• The Falcons scored 183/4 after recovering from 62/3.
• Hasan Nawaz made 76 from 48 balls with nine fours and three sixes.
• Hasan and Moeen Ali added 108 runs for the fourth wicket.
• Rahkeem Cornwall contributed 20 from seven balls before taking 3/17.
• TKR attacked aggressively but lost four wickets during a 63-run Powerplay.
• Kieron Pollard made 41 despite playing through injury.
• Joshua Da Silva finished unbeaten on 54 from 31 balls.
• Joshua James took 2/40, including the crucial wicket of Pollard.
• Shamar Springer removed Justin Greaves and helped Antigua control the closing overs.
• The Falcons moved to 11 points and strengthened their push for a top-two finish.
• TKR suffered a third consecutive defeat and finished their Trinidad homestand with four losses from five matches.

Rahkeem Cornwall Starts the Night by Attacking TKR

Cornwall’s influence began long before he touched the ball.

Opening alongside Evin Lewis, the powerful right-hander immediately targeted Akeal Hosein and gave Antigua the kind of start required against a TKR attack containing several high-level spin options.

He struck five fours during a seven-ball 20, scoring at a strike rate of 285.71.

The aggression helped Antigua reach 40 before Usman Tariq bowled Cornwall at 3.2 overs.

Lewis continued to provide enough momentum for the Falcons to finish the Powerplay on 43/1, but TKR’s slower bowlers soon began recovering control.

That was important because Trinbago had repeatedly relied on spin to dictate matches during the tournament. Sunil Narine had already produced a match-winning all-round performance when TKR defeated Barbados Tridents by seven wickets, while his 3/7 had helped launch their title defense with a DLS victory over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

Narine was again extremely difficult to score against on Wednesday.

His four overs cost only 20 runs and included 16 dot balls. Tariq was nearly as effective, taking 1/25 from four overs.

TKR Fight Back as Falcons Slip to 62/3

Evin Lewis made 24 from 23 deliveries before Akeal Hosein removed him at 52/2.

Amir Jangoo found scoring considerably more difficult, making six from 15 balls before Justin Greaves trapped him lbw with the first delivery of the tenth over.

Antigua were suddenly 62/3.

The innings had moved from Cornwall’s explosive opening to a middle-overs squeeze in which Narine and Tariq were reducing both boundary opportunities and easy rotation.

That was the phase in which the match could have moved decisively toward TKR.

Hasan Nawaz prevented it.

Hasan Nawaz Produces the Innings Antigua Needed

Hasan entered the match without the kind of form he would have wanted. Moeen acknowledged afterward that the Pakistan batter had been struggling recently.

His response was an innings built with considerably more patience than Cornwall’s opening assault.

Hasan reached his half-century from 36 deliveries, having struck seven fours and one six. Once established, he expanded his scoring range and increasingly attacked TKR’s pace options.

He eventually finished with 76 from 48 balls, containing nine fours and three sixes.

The numbers matter, but the location of those runs within Antigua’s innings matters more.

Why the 108-Run Partnership Changed the Match

When Hasan and Moeen came together, Antigua were 62/3.

The Falcons had already used more than nine overs and could easily have been restricted to something around 150 if another wicket had fallen quickly.

Hasan and Moeen instead added 108 for the fourth wicket.

The partnership reached 50 from 29 balls and then passed 100 from 56 deliveries, gradually forcing TKR away from the control established by Narine and Tariq.

Moeen’s role was quieter but strategically important.

He finished unbeaten on 32 from 24 balls, striking three fours and a six. More importantly, his presence allowed Hasan to continue attacking without Antigua repeatedly exposing new batters to the surface.

Pooran later identified one moment he believed proved especially costly. Moeen was dropped early in his innings, and the TKR captain felt the missed opportunity allowed an experienced batter to stay at the crease and stabilize Antigua.

Pooran’s assessment was simple: catches change matches.

Antigua had already demonstrated this ability to recover during the tournament. Moeen previously helped the Falcons chase 188 in a thriller against the Patriots, a match in which Shadab Khan and Moeen combined to rescue another difficult chase.

Moeen later produced an unbeaten 56 when Antigua recovered from 80/5 before Joshua James dismantled Barbados Tridents.

Those earlier games had already shown the Falcons could survive difficult passages. Match 24 provided another example.

Antigua Take 50 From the Last Four Overs

Once Hasan had settled, TKR’s inability to maintain pressure outside their best spin overs became increasingly expensive.

The Falcons scored 50 runs from the final four overs.

Hasan eventually fell to Lahiru Kumara at 170/4 with four balls remaining, but Shadab Khan arrived and immediately added seven from three balls.

Moeen found another boundary from the final delivery, taking Antigua to 183/4.

From 62/3 after 9.1 overs, they had added 121 runs while losing only one further wicket.

That recovery provided the first major difference between the teams.

Was 183 a Winning Score at Queen’s Park Oval?

Moeen initially believed something between 160 and 170 could be competitive if the dew remained manageable.

The surface was offering some grip, and the ball became more difficult to score from as it aged.

Once Antigua reached 183, his assessment changed.

The Falcons had enough runs to defend, although the captain knew TKR possessed too much power for the total to feel safe.

The challenge was taking wickets before Pollard, Pooran and the rest of the middle order could turn the chase into a conventional boundary contest.

Moeen found his answer in an unusual place.

He handed Cornwall the new ball.

Why Moeen Ali Gave Rahkeem Cornwall the New Ball

The decision was built around matchup, pace and the surface.

Cornwall is capable of bowling flatter and quicker than many conventional off-spinners while still producing enough turn to threaten attacking batters.

Moeen also praised his cricket intelligence afterward, explaining that Cornwall understood the length required on the Queen’s Park Oval surface.

The plan immediately became the defining tactical decision of the game.

Cornwall Removes Munro and Narine in the Same Over

Colin Munro attacked from the beginning, making 18 from nine balls with three fours and a six.

His innings lasted only 10 deliveries into the chase.

Cornwall used flight to draw Munro into another attacking stroke and the ball went to a fielder inside the ring.

Two balls later, Sunil Narine attempted to clear long-off.

He failed.

TKR were 20/2 after two overs.

The scoring rate remained healthy, but the chase had already lost both openers.

Joshua James Removes Hales Before Cornwall Gets Pooran

Moeen then introduced Joshua James.

James struck with his first delivery, removing Alex Hales for eight from nine balls and leaving Trinbago 40/3.

Pooran responded aggressively.

The TKR captain hit 22 from only 10 balls, including two fours and two sixes, and briefly threatened to restore the chase through pure power.

Cornwall won the contest at 5.3 overs.

Pooran attacked again but Fabian Allen completed the catch.

Trinbago were 57/4.

They still reached 63 by the end of the Powerplay, but four of their most dangerous batters were already back in the pavilion.

Why 63/4 Mattered More Than the Powerplay Run Rate

TKR’s required rate at the start of the chase was 9.20 runs per over.

Scoring 63 from the first six meant they were almost exactly keeping pace with the target.

The wickets changed everything.

The remaining batters could no longer treat 121 runs from 84 balls as a standard chase. Every attacking shot carried the additional risk of exposing the lower order.

Pollard and Justin Greaves therefore had to rebuild at the same time that the asking rate demanded continued acceleration.

That is why Cornwall’s 3/17 was more damaging than the raw wicket count suggests.

Moeen later described him as the bowler who “probably won us the game in the end.”

Pollard and Greaves Try to Repair TKR’s Chase

Justin Greaves helped Pollard stabilize the innings after the Powerplay.

The pair moved TKR toward the halfway point without allowing the required rate to become completely unmanageable.

Shadab Khan contributed an important control spell for Antigua, conceding only 21 runs from his four overs.

That economy rate of 5.25 was particularly valuable after Jayden Seales had been attacked for 45 from three.

Springer eventually removed Greaves for 18 from 15 balls at 93/5 in the 11th over.

Joshua Da Silva walked in with TKR needing 91 more runs and only five wickets remaining.

Kieron Pollard Plays Through Pain and Keeps TKR Alive

Pollard has spent much of this CPL season reminding opponents that a game involving him is rarely finished as early as the scoreboard suggests.

Only days earlier, he had hammered 65 from 26 balls when TKR attempted to chase St Lucia Kings’ 211/4.

This innings required something different.

Pooran said afterward that Pollard was playing through a damaged calf and a side strain. His movement was visibly restricted, which reduced the kind of explosive running and boundary access normally associated with his batting.

He still found a way to keep TKR in the contest.

Pollard made 41 from 36 balls with three fours and two sixes. His strike rate of 113.88 was modest by his standards, but context matters. He was trying to stabilize an innings that had lost four wickets inside six overs while managing significant physical discomfort.

Pooran described the performance as another example of why Pollard has been such an important figure in the franchise’s history.

Joshua Da Silva Refuses to Let the Chase Die

Da Silva supplied the acceleration Pollard could no longer produce consistently.

The wicketkeeper-batter attacked Antigua’s seamers, used the crease intelligently and increasingly targeted the shorter boundary as the chase moved into its final phase.

He and Pollard added 55 for the sixth wicket.

By the end of the 17th over, TKR still had a path back into the match.

That made Pollard’s dismissal decisive.

Joshua James Wins the Battle Antigua Had to Win

James had already removed Hales with his first delivery.

His second wicket mattered even more.

Pollard attacked toward deep midwicket in the 18th over, where Jayden Seales completed the catch.

TKR were 148/6.

Terrance Hinds was run out two balls later without scoring, leaving Antigua with seven wickets and enough scoreboard protection to focus almost entirely on denying Da Silva a sequence of boundaries.

Springer and James handled the death overs with increasing control.

James entered the final over with 25 runs to defend.

Da Silva continued fighting and eventually reached his half-century from 31 balls, bringing up the landmark with a six from the final delivery.

The shot took him to an unbeaten 54 and TKR to 175/7.

It was an excellent innings.

Antigua were already celebrating.

Rahkeem Cornwall’s Complete Match

Discipline	Performance
Batting	20 runs from 7 balls
Fours	5
Batting strike rate	285.71
Bowling	3 overs, 17 runs, 3 wickets
Economy	5.66
Dot balls	12
Wickets	Colin Munro, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran

Cornwall’s Player of the Match award was straightforward.

He attacked TKR before the field spread, then returned with the ball and dismissed three members of a top order containing some of the most experienced T20 hitters in the tournament.

The choice to bowl him during the Powerplay also revealed something important about Antigua’s captaincy.

Moeen did not treat Cornwall as a defensive spin option. He used him as a wicket-taking weapon against batters actively searching for boundaries.

Cornwall trusted the plan.

After the match, he explained that Moeen had asked him to bowl the second over and that his response was essentially to trust him to complete the job.

He did.

Cornwall also revealed that he had been managing hip discomfort from Antigua’s previous game in St Kitts. His final message was personal, dedicating the Player of the Match performance to his son ahead of his birthday.

Hasan Nawaz Deserves More Credit Than the Scorecard Gives Him

Cornwall was the obvious Player of the Match because of his two-way influence.

Hasan’s 76 was equally central to the structure of Antigua’s victory.

He arrived when the innings was beginning to slow, survived the period when TKR’s spinners had control and then attacked once the matchups became more favorable.

Without that adjustment, Cornwall’s bowling may have been defending 155 or 160 rather than 184.

Hasan’s innings therefore created the conditions under which Antigua could use Cornwall aggressively.

A larger target gave Moeen freedom to attack wickets during the Powerplay rather than immediately protecting boundaries.

The batting and bowling phases were connected.

Two Matches Against TKR, Two Different Falcons Match-Winners

Antigua have now beaten Trinbago twice during CPL 2026.

The first victory came through Shadab Khan.

In Match 14, Shadab conceded only eight runs from four overs before smashing an unbeaten 52 from 20 balls as the Falcons chased 166 with nine balls remaining.

This time, Hasan and Cornwall drove the result.

Meeting	Falcons Match-Winner	Result
Match 14	Shadab Khan: 52* off 20 and 1/8	Falcons won by 5 wickets
Match 24	Rahkeem Cornwall: 20 off 7 and 3/17	Falcons won by 8 runs

The contrast says something useful about Antigua’s season.

They have rarely relied on the same player to solve every match.

Tajinder Singh carried the batting when Antigua survived a last-ball thriller against Jamaica Kingsmen in their opener. Shadab and Moeen have finished difficult chases. James has won games with the ball. Hasan and Cornwall controlled this one.

That variety gives the Falcons considerably more resilience heading toward the playoffs.

What Went Wrong for Trinbago Knight Riders?

Pooran was direct afterward.

He believed the match was lost during the Powerplay.

The assessment is difficult to dispute.

A chase of 184 did not require TKR to abandon aggression, but losing four wickets before the field spread removed too many options from the second half of the innings.

Pooran also criticized the team’s fielding intensity early in Antigua’s innings and revealed that he called the players together during the third over because he was unhappy with their body language.

That concern fits a broader pattern in TKR’s season.

They have possessed enough individual quality to produce spectacular periods without consistently joining those periods together into complete performances.

The Dropped Chances Hurt

Terrance Hinds put down Lewis before he was eventually dismissed for 24.

Moeen also received a life early in his innings.

Those chances became more expensive because Antigua were already experiencing pressure through the middle overs.

A wicket at the right moment could have exposed the Falcons’ middle order and changed the final five overs completely.

Instead, Moeen helped Hasan add 108.

TKR’s Wicket-Taking Problem Remains

Pooran also pointed toward a longer-term issue with the seam bowling group and the team’s ability to take wickets consistently.

It was a concern he had already raised after earlier defeats.

TKR’s season has contained striking extremes. Narine dominated Barbados in Match 19, yet the wider attack has struggled whenever opponents survive his most economical overs.

The Knight Riders also suffered heavy pressure when Tim Seifert made an unbeaten 105 for St Lucia and when Guyana Amazon Warriors subsequently defeated them during the Trinidad leg.

The pattern has left a team with enormous batting names repeatedly chasing games from difficult positions.

Ian Bishop Raises the Bigger TKR Question

During the live broadcast, former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop also raised the possibility that TKR need an injection of fresh talent and new faces.

That conversation is likely to grow if the defending champions fail to reach the postseason.

TKR still possess some of the Caribbean’s most recognizable T20 names, including Pollard, Narine and Pooran. Experience has never been their problem.

The bigger question is whether the balance around those established players remains strong enough to carry the franchise through an increasingly competitive CPL.

Pooran avoided excuses after the defeat. He acknowledged the difficult conditions and wet outfield but accepted that TKR had simply failed to play well enough across the tournament.

Pollard’s Queen’s Park Oval Walk Carried Extra Meaning

There was also an unusual scene after the match.

Pollard walked around the Queen’s Park Oval outfield greeting opposition players warmly after another physically demanding innings.

Whether it ultimately proves to have been his final appearance at the ground as a player remains unknown, and no retirement announcement has been made.

The moment still carried emotional weight because of Pollard’s long association with Trinidad cricket and the Knight Riders franchise.

Pooran called him a pillar of TKR and praised his willingness to play through pain while trying to keep the team’s season alive.

What the Result Means for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons

The victory takes Antigua to 11 points from nine matches.

They have one league fixture remaining, against Guyana Amazon Warriors on September 8.

Moeen’s target extends beyond merely reaching the playoffs.

He wants a top-two finish.

That distinction is important because finishing in the top two provides a route through Qualifier 1 and therefore an additional opportunity to reach the final.

Antigua’s campaign has contained substantial fluctuation. They were comprehensively beaten by Guyana earlier in the season when the Warriors bowled them out for 116 and completed the chase inside 10 overs.

Moeen referenced that defeat after Match 24.

Guyana are the team Antigua want another opportunity to measure themselves against.

The September 8 meeting now carries implications for playoff seeding as well as confidence.

What the Defeat Means for TKR

Trinbago remain on four points after eight matches.

The defending champions still have league matches against Barbados Tridents and Guyana Amazon Warriors.

Pooran stressed that a mathematical route remained immediately after the Antigua defeat, but he also acknowledged the reality of their position.

TKR have lost three consecutive matches and four of five during their home leg.

They now require results elsewhere as well as victories of their own to keep any realistic playoff route alive.

The disappointment is particularly striking because the season began with evidence that the defending champions could again control games through spin.

The campaign has subsequently become a struggle for consistency, wicket-taking and clean execution at crucial moments.

The Sports Encounter Analysis: Antigua Won the Difficult Parts of the Match

The eight-run margin makes Match 24 look closer than its underlying structure.

Both teams experienced a serious disruption.

Antigua were 62/3 after 9.1 overs.

TKR were 63/4 after six.

One team responded with a 108-run partnership.

The other spent the rest of its innings attempting to recover while the required rate continued climbing.

That is the most important distinction from Queen’s Park Oval.

Hasan and Moeen recognized that Antigua did not need to win every delivery after losing three wickets. They stabilized the innings, protected the remaining batting resources and allowed the acceleration to develop later.

TKR’s Powerplay contained plenty of runs but too little preservation.

Cornwall exploited that aggression intelligently. His pace, flight and willingness to challenge the batters created opportunities precisely when TKR were trying to exploit the fielding restrictions.

Moeen then benefited from the wickets by using Shadab to control the middle overs before James and Springer handled the decisive moments near the end.

Pollard and Da Silva made the final margin respectable and briefly restored genuine pressure.

Antigua had already done enough early work to survive it.

Top Performers in TKR vs Falcons, CPL 2026 Match 24

Player	Team	Performance
Rahkeem Cornwall	Antigua and Barbuda Falcons	20 off 7 and 3/17
Hasan Nawaz	Antigua and Barbuda Falcons	76 off 48
Moeen Ali	Antigua and Barbuda Falcons	32* off 24
Joshua James	Antigua and Barbuda Falcons	2/40, including Pollard
Shadab Khan	Antigua and Barbuda Falcons	7* off 3 and 0/21
Joshua Da Silva	Trinbago Knight Riders	54* off 31
Kieron Pollard	Trinbago Knight Riders	41 off 36
Nicholas Pooran	Trinbago Knight Riders	22 off 10
Sunil Narine	Trinbago Knight Riders	0/20 from 4 overs
Usman Tariq	Trinbago Knight Riders	1/25 from 4 overs

Key Turning Points

• Cornwall’s seven-ball 20: Antigua immediately prevented TKR’s spinners from completely controlling the Powerplay.
• Falcons fall to 62/3: Jangoo’s dismissal gave TKR an opportunity to take control of the innings.
• Hasan and Moeen add 108: Antigua turned a vulnerable position into a platform for 180-plus.
• Fifty runs from the last four overs: The Falcons pushed a potentially competitive total into a far more defendable range.
• Cornwall removes Munro and Narine: TKR lost both openers before completing the second over.
• James dismisses Hales: Trinbago slipped to 40/3.
• Cornwall gets Pooran: TKR lost their fourth wicket inside the Powerplay despite scoring at more than 10 runs per over.
• Pollard and Da Silva add 55: Their sixth-wicket partnership created TKR’s final realistic route back into the game.
• James removes Pollard: The chase lost its most experienced finisher at 148/6.
• Da Silva reaches 54*: His late hitting reduced the final margin to eight runs but could not overturn the early damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Trinbago Knight Riders vs Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in CPL 2026 Match 24?

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons defeated Trinbago Knight Riders by eight runs at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. Antigua scored 183/4 before restricting TKR to 175/7.

Who was Player of the Match?

Rahkeem Cornwall was named Player of the Match after scoring 20 from seven balls and taking 3/17 from three overs.

How many runs did Hasan Nawaz score?

Hasan Nawaz scored 76 from 48 balls, hitting nine fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 158.33.

What were Rahkeem Cornwall’s bowling figures?

Cornwall took three wickets for 17 runs from three overs. He dismissed Colin Munro, Sunil Narine and Nicholas Pooran.

How many runs did Joshua Da Silva score?

Joshua Da Silva finished unbeaten on 54 from 31 balls, hitting three fours and five sixes.

How many runs did Kieron Pollard score?

Pollard made 41 from 36 balls with three fours and two sixes while playing through an injury.

What was TKR’s score after the Powerplay?

Trinbago Knight Riders reached 63/4 after six overs. Munro, Narine, Hales and Pooran had all been dismissed.

What was the key partnership for Antigua?

Hasan Nawaz and Moeen Ali added 108 runs for the fourth wicket after Antigua had fallen to 62/3.

Where are Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in the CPL 2026 playoff race?

The victory moved the Falcons to 11 points from nine matches and strengthened their position near the top of the standings. Their final league match is against Guyana Amazon Warriors on September 8.

Can Trinbago Knight Riders still qualify for the CPL 2026 playoffs?

TKR were not mathematically eliminated immediately after Match 24, but their route became extremely difficult. They remained on four points after eight matches and still had fixtures against Barbados Tridents and Guyana Amazon Warriors, while also requiring favorable results elsewhere.

When do Antigua and Barbuda Falcons play next?

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons are scheduled to face Guyana Amazon Warriors at Guyana National Stadium on September 8, 2026.