Defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders have retained the core of their title-winning squad ahead of CPL 2026, exercising their right-to-match options to keep Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Sunil Narine and Akeal Hosein for the upcoming season. Hosein played a decisive role in the CPL 2025 final and was named Player of the Match as Knight Riders secured the championship. The franchise will once again rely heavily on its experienced West Indian core as it looks to defend the title. One of the biggest changes ahead of the new season sees Andre Russell move to the newly formed Jamaica Kingsmen. Russell, who helped Knight Riders lift the trophy last season, will join fellow Jamaican star Rovman Powell, who has been appointed captain of the franchise. The Kingsmen were granted the opportunity to recruit leading local players without competition during the draft process. They also secured highly rated 19-year-old left-arm wristspinner Vitel Lawes, who is set to make his CPL debut after impressing at the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year. Lawes finished as West Indies’ leading wicket-taker in the tournament with ten wickets in five matches at an economy rate of 4.93. Meanwhile, Gudakesh Motie has left his home side Guyana Amazon Warriors to join Barbados Tridents. Motie was a key member of the Warriors’ successful CPL and Global Super League campaigns, forming a formidable spin partnership with Imran Tahir. Barbados also retained opener Brandon King through the right-to-match option. In response to Motie’s departure, Guyana brought in left-arm spinner Khary Pierre, who recently returned to the West Indies T20I side. The Warriors also retained Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Romario Shepherd and Shamar Joseph. St Lucia Kings strengthened their squad by retaining allrounders Roston Chase and Matthew Forde. The franchise also signed promising young batter Jewel Andrew from Antigua & Barbuda Falcons. The Falcons, meanwhile, held on to Fabian Allen, Jayden Seales and Amir Jangoo through right-to-match options. Former USA international Karima Gore also remains with the team. At St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, the franchise retained Kyle Mayers, Andre Fletcher and emerging batter Alick Athanaze. Jason Holder will also continue with the Patriots following an impressive IPL campaign. The Patriots additionally recruited veteran opener Johnson Charles, the CPL’s all-time leading run-scorer with 3,519 runs in 127 innings. Charles is expected to replace Evin Lewis at the top of the order after Lewis ended his decade-long association with the Patriots to join the Falcons. CPL 2026 will be staged across a record-equalling eight Caribbean nations, with matches scheduled in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. The tournament is scheduled to run from August 7 to September 20 and will overlap with The Hundred.