Tajinder Singh, Falcons’ bowlers seal last-ball thriller against Jamaica Kingsmen in CPL 2026 opener

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons opened their Caribbean Premier League 2026 campaign with a dramatic two-wicket victory over debutants Jamaica Kingsmen, securing the win off the final ball of a tense chase.

USA batter Tajinder Singh played the decisive innings, scoring 62 off 37 balls on his CPL debut, while the Falcons' bowlers laid the foundation for the victory earlier in the night. Alzarri Joseph was the standout performer with the ball, claiming three wickets for 34 runs to earn Player of the Match honours.

Chasing 168, the Falcons appeared to be cruising for most of their innings. At the end of the 17th over, they needed only 20 runs from the final three overs with six wickets in hand, while Tajinder was firmly set on 56.

However, the chase suddenly became tense. Keemo Paul conceded just six runs in the 18th over before Andre Russell's over produced only eight. Karima Gore and Tajinder fell during the closing stages, leaving the Falcons needing six runs from the final over.

Jamaica Kingsmen's Hunain Shah then produced a dramatic final over. He dismissed Jahmar Hamilton and Usama Mir from the third and fourth deliveries, leaving the Falcons needing two runs from the final ball.

Shamar Springer dug out a full delivery from Shah towards long-on and attempted to complete the winning runs. Rovman Powell, regarded as one of the finest fielders in the game, failed to hold on to the ball, allowing the Falcons to scramble the required two runs and complete a thrilling victory.

The Falcons' bowlers had earlier restricted the Kingsmen to 167 for 7. Apart from Reeza Hendricks and Rovman Powell, Jamaica's batting struggled to build momentum.

Hendricks provided the early impetus, scoring 42 from 25 balls. The Kingsmen reached 54 for 1 during the powerplay, with Hendricks responsible for 36 of those runs, including a 28-run sixth over against Karima Gore.

Hendricks was dismissed in the eighth over, and the Kingsmen struggled to accelerate thereafter. They scored only 59 runs between the seventh and 16th overs, allowing the Falcons to regain control.

Powell top-scored with a patient 47 from 37 balls, while Andre Russell managed only eight from 10 deliveries. Late contributions from Hassan Khan, who remained unbeaten on 10 from six balls, and Keemo Paul, who smashed 16 from six, helped Jamaica reach a competitive total.

The Falcons' chase began positively despite Paul making an immediate impact with the ball. He dismissed openers Evin Lewis and Rahkeem Cornwall inside the first seven overs.

Tim Robinson then joined Tajinder to steady the innings. Robinson and Cornwall had earlier put together a 40-run second-wicket partnership, before Robinson and Tajinder added 64 for the third wicket to put the Falcons firmly in control.

Tajinder eventually fell for a superb 62 off 37 balls, but his innings had done enough to keep the Falcons ahead of the required rate.

The late collapse gave Jamaica a chance, but the Falcons held their nerve when it mattered most. Springer's final-ball scramble, combined with Powell's fumble in the deep, handed Antigua and Barbuda Falcons a two-wicket win and two valuable points on the opening night of CPL 2026.

For the Kingsmen, the defeat will be particularly frustrating after they had kept the game alive with a strong finish to the Falcons' chase. Their inability to score consistently through the middle overs, however, ultimately left them short of a more imposing total.

Tajinder's explosive debut innings proved to be the difference as the Falcons began their CPL 2026 campaign with a victory that went right down to the final delivery.