Red Force looks to stampede rivals

BENGALURU, India, CMC – Trinidad & Tobago arrived in the Garden City on Wednesday, looking ahead to roll over the Mumbai Indians in their first match of Group-A in the Champions League Twenty20 on Monday.

The Caribbean T20 champions topped Pool-B in the six-team qualification phase, and will now join the Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Cape Cobras, and New South Wales Blues in Group-A of the main draw.

T&T manager Omar Khan said the Red Force were thrilled with their last victory and proved that they were not a side to be taken lightly.

“The boys are really building momentum nicely and they are playing as winners,” he said.

“We have been winning matches for a while now leading up to this point and winning has become a habit for this team.”

Since arriving in India, T&T dispatched the Kolkata Knight Riders in a warm-up match, and followed up with victories over the Ruhunu Rhinos, the Sri Lankan T20 champions, and the Leicestershire Foxes, the English T20 champions.

“I was not here with the team two years ago, but the guys who were here are saying they are feeling the same way again, as they did back then and this is good news,” he said.

“They are playing together, playing as a unit, which is their greatest strength. We are without Dwayne Bravo and Keiron Pollard, but if you are around this team, you would not know the difference.

He added: “The feedback we have gotten from home is that the country is fully excited and behind us, and we are looking to make them very proud indeed.”

Bravo is playing for Indian Premier League champions Chennai Super Kings in the tournament, and Pollard will line-up for the Mumbai Indians.