CPL 2026 – defending champions TKR hold on to Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Sunil Narine and Akeal Hosein

Ravi Singh

3 hours ago

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Defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders have used their right-to-match options to retain their West Indian core for CPL 2026. Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Sunil Narine and Akeal Hosein, who was the Player of the Match in the CPL 2025 final, will all stay at Knight Riders.

Andre Russell, who won the title with Knight Riders the previous season, will turn out for Jamaica Kingsmen in CPL 2026 along with fellow Jamaican Rovman Powell. The new franchise was handed an opportunity to recruit top local players unchallenged in the draft. Powell will lead Kingsmen after previously captaining the Jamaica franchise to the title in 2022, when they were called Jamaica Tallawahs.

Kingsmen also snapped up 19-year-old left-arm wristspinner Vitel Lawes, who is set for his CPL debut after making a splash in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year. Lawes was West Indies’ highest wicket-taker in the competition, with ten strikes in five games at an economy rate of 4.93. He could provide Kingsmen’s attack with a potent point of difference.

Gudakesh Motie, who can bowl left-arm fingerspin as well as left-arm wristspin, moved from his home franchise Guyana Amazon Warriors to Barbados Tridents. Motie had formed a potent partnership with Imran Tahir at Amazon Warriors and was part of their title-winning campaigns in the CPL and Global Super League (GSL). Tridents also used their right-to-match option to bring back West Indies opener Brandon King.

Khary Pierre, another smart left-arm spinner, will fill the void created by Motie’s absence at Amazon Warriors. Pierre recently returned to West Indies’ T20I side in 2025-26. Amazon Warriors used their right-to-match option to keep Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Romario Shepherd and Shamar Joseph in their set-up. They also retained Quentin Sampson, who was a wildcard pick in West Indies’ T20 squad after impressing in CPL 2025.

St Lucia Kings, meanwhile, got back allrounders Roston Chase and Matthew Forde. Jewel Andrew, one of the brightest young batters in the Caribbean, has moved from Antigua & Barbuda Falcons to Kings for the upcoming season. Falcons secured the services of Fabian Allen, Jayden Seales and Amir Jangoo, thanks to the right-to-match options. Karima Gore, the former USA international, will also stay at Falcons.

As for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, they used their right-to-match options on Kyle Mayers, Andre Fletcher and emerging player Alick Athanaze. Jason Holder, who is currently enjoying a terrific IPL, will remain at Patriots too. They also drafted Johnson Charles, who is the leading run-getter in the CPL, with 3519 runs in 127 innings. Charles, who was earlier vulnerable against left-arm spin, has recently reinvented himself by deploying reverse-sweeps and switch-hits. Charles is set to slot in at the top in place of Evin Lewis, who has now shifted to Falcons after spending a decade at Patriots.

CPL 2026 will be played in a record-equalling eight nations this year, with fixtures in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. The CPL will run from August 7 until September 20 this year and will overlap with the Hundred.

How the squads are shaping up

Antigua & Barbuda Falcons

Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Fabian Allen (RMO), Jayden Seales (RMO), Amir Jangoo (RMO), Shamar Springer, Jahmar Hamilton, Rahkeem Cornwall, Anderson Phillip, Karima Gore (Breakout player), Anderson Mahase (Breakout player), Joshua James (Breakout player, retained)

Barbados Tridents

Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Brandon King (RMO), Zachary Carter, Kadeem Alleyne (RMO), Ramon Simmonds (retained), Shadrack Descarte, Zishan Motara, Jakeem Pollard (Breakout player), Johann Layne (Breakout player), Kofi James (Breakout player, RMO)

Guyana Amazon Warriors

Shimron Hetmyer (RMO), Romario Shepherd (RMO), Shai Hope (RMO), Khary Pierre, Shamar Joseph (RMO), Ronaldo Alimohamed, Veerasammy Permaul, Matthew Nandu, Jonathan van Lange, Mavendra Dindyal (Breakout player), Isai Thorne (Breakout player), Quentin Samspson (Breakout player)

Jamaica Kingsmen

Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Keemo Paul, Keacy Carty, Jediah Blades, Shaqkere Parris, Odean Smith, Vitel Lawes (RMO), Romaine Morris, Kirk McKenzie (Breakout player), Kelvin Pitman (Breakout player), Jeavor Royal (Breakout player)

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

Johnson Charles, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers (RMO), Andre Fletcher (RMO), Kevin Wickham, Obed McCoy, Ashmead Nedd, Jeremiah Louis, Alick Athanaze (RMO), Micah McKenzie (Breakout player), Navin Bidaisee (Breakout player, retained), Mikyle Louis (Breakout player, RMO)

St Lucia Kings

Roston Chase (RMO), Jewel Andrew, Matthew Forde (RMO), Kamil Pooran, Darron Nedd, McKenny Clarke, Joshua Bishop, Damion Joachim, Keon Gaston (RMO), Amari Goodridge (Breakout player), Johann Jeremiah (Breakout player), Ackeem Auguste (Breakout player, retained)

Trinbago Knight Riders

Sunil Narine (RMO), Nicholas Pooran (RMO), Kieron Pollard (RMO), Akeal Hosein (RMO), Justin Greaves, Dominic Drakes, Jyd Goolie, Dexter Sween, Terrance Hinds (RMO), Nathan Edward (Breakout player, retained), Joshua da Silva (Breakout player), Abdul-Raheem Toppin

Deivarayan Muthu is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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