CPL 2026 Starts on 7 August with Seven Teams for the First Time
The Caribbean Premier League returns bigger. The Jamaica Kingsmen make it seven franchises, Arnos Vale in St Vincent hosts the opener, and the Trinbago Knight Riders defend the title.
The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League begins its 2026 season on 7 August, and for the first time it will be contested by seven teams.
The new shape
The Jamaica Kingsmen join as the seventh franchise, alongside the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, the Guyana Amazon Warriors, the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, the Saint Lucia Kings, the Trinbago Knight Riders, and the Barbados side, who play this year as the Barbados Tridents after competing as the Barbados Royals through 2025.
Where it starts
The opening match sends the Jamaica Kingsmen against the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent and the Grenadines, a ground staging CPL fixtures for the first time.
The season at a glance
There are 39 matches in all, running to 20 September. The knockout stage is played across three days at the end: the eliminator on 16 September, the two qualifiers on 17 and 18 September, and the final on 20 September at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. The Trinbago Knight Riders arrive as the defending champions.
Why the expansion matters
A seventh team means more fixtures, a longer group stage, and a wider pool of Caribbean and overseas players in work through August and into September. In a stretch of the calendar when little else in franchise cricket is on, adding a team is a sign that the Caribbean's own tournament is growing rather than standing still.
We will follow the season as it unfolds.
Schedule, teams and venues verified on 2 August 2026 against the competition's confirmed 2026 fixtures.