CPL 2026: Schedule, Teams, Squads & Everything Else To Know About This Caribbean Premier League Season
Seven teams. Finally, the Caribbean Premier League expands after 13 years with six as a constant. It adds a territory that previously only featured in the CPL as an absent franchise, for good reason: Jamaica. CPL 2026 runs from 7 August to 20 September, starting at Arnos Vale in St Vincent (a debut venue) and finishing at Kensington Oval in Barbados (a debut location for the finale). Defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders seek a record sixth title.
There is plenty to process before the first ball is bowled, so let's start with the basics.
CPL 2026: The Essentials
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Dates | 7 August – 20 September 2026 |
| Teams | 7 (one new addition) |
| Total Matches | 39 |
| Opening Match | Jamaica Kingsmen vs Antigua & Barbuda Falcons, Arnos Vale, St Vincent |
| Final | 20 September 2026, Kensington Oval, Barbados |
| Defending Champions | Trinbago Knight Riders (5th title in 2025) |
| Format | Twenty-over, round-robin group stage followed by four-team playoff |
| New for 2026 | Jamaica Kingsmen debut; St Vincent hosts for the first time; Barbados hosts the final |
The Story of the Jamaica Kingsmen
With the dissolution of the Jamaica Tallawahs at the end of the 2024 season, it seemed unthinkable that the island of two of the CPL's first four title winners would not have a team in the competition. That situation was rectified in March 2026, when Jamaica Kingsmen were born. Based out of Sabina Park, the new franchise got off to a flying start by securing the first three picks in the 2026 draft, all of which were Jamaican players.
They made good on their opportunity, with Rovman Powell captaining his country's side, Andre Russell returning to his home island, and the likes of Odean Smith, Jeavor Royal, Kirk McKenzie and teenage pace sensation Vitel Lawes adding strength to the local contingent. For a debut franchise, they certainly knew how to stock their ranks.
CPL 2026 Teams: The Seven Franchises
One other addition must be noted, with the Barbados-based Royals rebranding as the Barbados Tridents in May 2026 as part of the island's One Barbados initiative. Here is a look at all seven franchises, and their home grounds, star attractions and notable signings.
| Team | Home Ground | Stars |
|---|---|---|
| Trinbago Knight Riders | Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad | Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard, Akeal Hosein |
| Guyana Amazon Warriors | Providence Stadium, Guyana | Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Romario Shepherd, Shamar Joseph |
| Jamaica Kingsmen | Sabina Park, Jamaica | Rovman Powell (c), Andre Russell, Keacy Carty, Keemo Paul |
| Barbados Tridents | Kensington Oval, Barbados | Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford |
| Saint Lucia Kings | Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia | Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Jewel Andrew |
| St Kitts & Nevis Patriots | Warner Park, St Kitts | Jason Holder, Johnson Charles, Kyle Mayers, Andre Fletcher |
| Antigua & Barbuda Falcons | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua | Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jayden Seales, Fabian Allen |
The St Kitts & Nevis Patriots quietly put together an impressive squad, one that boasts the CPL's all-time leading run-scorer in Johnson Charles and the man second on that list, Andre Fletcher. Meanwhile, TKR did what TKR do and retained their core, with Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard and Akeal Hosein all staying put.
How Were The Squads Formed This Year?
It is worth briefly discussing the rules behind the formation of these squads. Each features 17 players, including a maximum of five overseas stars, three "breakout" young players and one breakout selection that must appear in each team's starting XI. Up to four overseas players may be selected for any given match, while the six teams that retained their franchises got four Right to Match options for any player who had been with them in 2025. The Kingsmen got the first three picks of the draft (restricted to Jamaican players) plus one Right to Match option, while any team that lost a player to the expansion side got an additional RMO in compensation. Overseas stars were signed directly by the franchises, rather than through the draft.
CPL 2026 Schedule: The Full Breakdown
All matches are scheduled to be played in local time. The opening three fixtures are in St Vincent, before the tour moves on to Jamaica, St Lucia, Antigua, Trinidad, St Kitts, Guyana and finally Barbados, where the final league matches and the entire playoff series will be held. All local times are listed below.
Note that most matches are scheduled to start at 7pm local time, with a few earlier kick-offs in Trinidad and Barbados, and one match – a Sunday morning game in Guyana – set to begin at 10am local time. Indian viewers in particular should note that 7pm local time in the Caribbean equates to 4:30am IST, so this is not a tournament for early risers.
The format of the play-offs is also new to the CPL, with the third-placed team now facing the fourth-placed team in an Eliminator before the first and second-placed sides meet in the Qualifier. The loser of the Qualifier faces the winner of the Eliminator in the second Semi-final, with the final on 20 September being a winner-takes-all match between the top two teams.
CPL 2026 Points Table
This table will be updated for the first time on 7 August, after the opening fixtures have been played. For reference, there are seven teams in the CPL, with each playing 10 group-stage matches, with the top four advancing to the play-offs.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antigua & Barbuda Falcons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2 | Barbados Tridents | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 3 | Guyana Amazon Warriors | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 4 | Jamaica Kingsmen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 5 | Saint Lucia Kings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 6 | St Kitts & Nevis Patriots | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 7 | Trinbago Knight Riders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
How To Watch The CPL 2026
Official broadcasters for the 2026 season will be revealed on cplt20.com at a later date, but for now, the situation is similar to recent years, with ESPN Caribbean and Flow Sports showing matches across the region, Star Sports and FanCode showing in India, TNT Sports in the UK, and Willow TV in the US and Canada. For viewers outside the broadcast zones, the CPL has previously showed all matches for free on their YouTube channel, and it is advisable to check the CPL's social media channels and website ahead of the 2026 season for any changes.
CPL Past Winners
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Jamaica Tallawahs |
| 2014 | Barbados Tridents |
| 2015 | Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel |
| 2016 | Jamaica Tallawahs |
| 2017 | Trinbago Knight Riders |
| 2018 | Trinbago Knight Riders |
| 2019 | Barbados Tridents |
| 2020 | Trinbago Knight Riders |
| 2021 | St Kitts & Nevis Patriots |
| 2022 | Jamaica Tallawahs |
| 2023 | Guyana Amazon Warriors |
| 2024 | Saint Lucia Kings |
| 2025 | Trinbago Knight Riders |
Five titles for Trinbago Knight Riders, including their 2015 victory as the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel. Last season's final in Guyana was yet another thrilling encounter, with Akeal Hosein guiding the Knight Riders to a narrow victory over the Amazon Warriors, who have now lost more finals than any other side in CPL history. Note the three titles for the disbanded Jamaica Tallawahs too — a history the new Kingsmen will be desperate to live up to.