Trinbago Knight Riders have exercised every available right-to-match, so Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Sunil Narine and Akeal Hosein all stay put for CPL 2026. It means last season’s champions head into the new campaign with their senior West Indian quartet still glued together.
“We’ve built something special at Knight Riders and I’m not ready to walk away just yet,” Pollard said, sounding typically calm about another year at the helm. Hosein, Player of the Match in the 2025 final, added: “Continuity helps everyone settle quickly; that’s priceless in a short tournament.”
Elsewhere the reshuffle has been lively but measured. Andre Russell, part of Trinbago’s 2025 triumph, heads home to the freshly branded Jamaica Kingsmen. The new outfit had first refusal on unprotected Jamaican players and did not hesitate. Rovman Powell, who lifted the trophy with the old Tallawahs in 2022, will captain. “The badge has changed but the heartbeat’s the same,” Powell insisted.
Kingsmen also took a punt on Vitel Lawes, the 19-year-old left-arm wrist-spinner who impressed at the Under-19 World Cup. Ten wickets in five matches at under five an over grabbed everyone’s attention. Head coach Donovan Miller said, “A young chinaman bowler gives us variety straight away. We’ll back him.”
Barbados Tridents, meanwhile, pinched Gudakesh Motie from Guyana Amazon Warriors. Motie’s ability to switch between orthodox and wrist-spin makes him doubly valuable on slow Caribbean pitches. “I loved my time in Guyana, but a new environment can sharpen the skills,” he noted.
Guyana moved quickly to fill the gap, bringing in Khary Pierre, fresh from a recall to the West Indies T20I side. Their right-to-match card also kept Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Romario Shepherd and Shamar Joseph on the books. Assistant coach Rayon Griffith reckons the balance is right: “Hetty finishes, Hope anchors, Shepherd closes. Pierre simply slots in.”
St Lucia Kings retained the dependable pair of Roston Chase and Matthew Forde, and lured teen batting prospect Jewel Andrew from Antigua & Barbuda Falcons. Falcons countered by hanging on to Fabian Allen, Jayden Seales and Amir Jangoo, plus former USA all-rounder Karima Gore. Coach Phil Simmons kept it brief: “We like our blend. Now we score runs.”
St Kitts & Nevis Patriots pressed the same retention button for Kyle Mayers, Andre Fletcher and rising left-hander Alick Athanaze. Jason Holder, fresh from an eye-catching IPL, remains central. The big addition is veteran opener Johnson Charles, already the league’s leading run-scorer with 3519. His reverse-sweep has re-emerged as a reliable scoring option against left-arm spin. “Experience at the top is never wasted,” Holder remarked.
Evin Lewis, after ten seasons with Patriots, swaps to Falcons. There he is expected to open alongside Brandon King, whom Barbados successfully reeled back with their RTM.
Logistics also stretch this season: fixtures will again be spread across eight territories, Antigua included, mirroring the record set two years ago. Tournament director Michael Hall under-played the complexity: “We’ve learnt how to move the circus. Fans in more islands get to see live cricket—that’s the reward.”
With squads essentially locked, overseas slots will now attract most attention, yet the local shake-up has already supplied enough intrigue. A settled Knight Riders unit starts as favourites, but Jamaica’s home-grown muscle, Barbados’ spin gambit, and Patriots’ timely refresh ensure the defending champions will be tested early and often.
