A Jamaican side will be back on the Caribbean Premier League roster this season, the league confirmed on Wednesday, after Kingsmen Sports Enterprise purchased the franchise rights.
The Tallawahs, three-time champions, have been absent for the past two editions. Former owner Kris Persaud handed the licence back to the CPL late in 2023, citing what he called a lack of meaningful government support, before turning his attention to the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.
Talks with India’s GMR Group went a fair way – their people even flew in for last year’s final – but the deal never crossed the line. Enter Kingsmen, an American-based company headed by Pakistani-born entrepreneur Fawad Sarwar.
“The return of a CPL franchise will act as an ‘economic engine’ and help position Jamaica as ‘a global hub for cricket, culture and sportainment’,” Sarwar said in a statement. The wording raised a few eyebrows, though most locals seem more interested in seeing top-flight cricket back at Sabina Park.
The league has pencilled in four matches for Kingston, its first visit since 2019, with the 2026 tournament running from early August to 21 September. Pete Russell, the CPL’s chief executive, welcomed the move: “The return of a Jamaican franchise and matches at Sabina Park is something fans have been calling for, and we’re delighted to be working closely with the Government of Jamaica to make this happen.”
Kingsmen already own Chicago Kingsmen in the United States’ Minor League Cricket and recently secured one of the new Pakistan Super League slots – that team will be called Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen. A fresh name for the Jamaican outfit is still under wraps, though officials say an announcement is “not far off”.
What changes on the field? Too early to say. The player draft is weeks away and coaching staff have yet to be confirmed. Privately, one regional selector reckons the franchise must “nail the local nucleus first, overseas stars later” if they’re to avoid the struggles that dogged the Tallawahs in their final seasons.
For now, the headlines are simple enough: Jamaica is back on the CPL map, Sabina Park gets its lights switched on again, and supporters have a team to call their own. After two quiet summers, that feels like progress.
