The 14th edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will kick off on August 7, with Jamaica Kingsmen taking on Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in Kingstown. Here’s everything you need to know about the new season.
So, the biggest party in cricket is back?
Yep, the CPL will start on August 7 and will run until September 20. The top four sides in the league phase will qualify for the playoffs, which will be held at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Just like the IPL, the top two teams will get two shots at the final.
You mentioned Jamaica Kingsmen. New team?
Correct. They are the newest CPL franchise and will become the second Jamaica team to feature in the league after Tallawahs, who have been defunct since 2023. Kingsmen are owned by Fawad Sarwar, a Pakistani businessman based in the US, whose PSL franchise Hyderabad Kingsmen made the final earlier this year.
Jamaica Kingsmen have a strong Pakistani flavour to their side, with seven of their players having links to the PSL franchise. Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat and Hunain Shah, the brother of Naseem Shah who will turn out for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, are among Jamaica’s signings.
Barbados Tridents seem to be making a comeback as well.
Yes, Barbados Royals have been rebranded as Barbados Tridents, the name under which they played the first eight seasons of the CPL before the renaming in 2021. The rebranding will also extend to their team in the Women’s CPL, which has four teams now.
Royals Sports Group, which took over the franchise in 2021, has agreed to the government becoming a minority co-investor in the franchise, but majority ownership will remain with Royals.
Okay, how many countries are hosting the tournament?
CPL 2026 will be played in a record-equalling eight nations, with fixtures in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.