It’s been just 10 days since the Hundred concluded, and cricket fans are already gearing up for another franchise league, this time taking place in the scenic Caribbean. The Caribbean Premier League (CPL), famously dubbed “the biggest party in sport,” is back for its 12th edition. This year, the tournament will feature a slight tweak in its schedule, primarily due to the adjustments made for the Hundred. Additionally, a new franchise, the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons (ABF), has joined the fray, replacing the now-defunct Jamaica Tallawahs.
The relocation of the Tallawahs’ players to the new ABF squad includes key names such as Brandon King, Chris Green, Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim, and Fabian Allen. In addition to the familiar faces, the Falcons have added a few new players to complete the lineup. The Antigua and Barbuda Falcons will have the honor of playing the tournament opener in Antigua against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on Thursday, August 29, at the renowned Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
The CPL’s format remains unchanged: six teams, 34 matches in total, including the eliminator rounds, a couple of qualifiers, and the grand finale scheduled for October 6.
. The Trinbago Knight Riders, packed with an all-star lineup of West Indies cricket icons, appear to be the strongest team on paper once again. However, cricket is often unpredictable, and performances on the field will ultimately determine who claims the championship. Fans are particularly excited to see if the Guyana Amazon Warriors can secure a back-to-back victory.
### Antigua & Barbuda Falcons
– Imad Wasim
– Brandon King
– Fabian Allen
– Sam Billings (wk)
– Mohammad Amir
– Chris Green
– Fakhar Zaman
– Roshon Primus
– Justin Greaves
– Hayden Walsh
– Jahmar Hamilton
– Teddy Bishop
– Kofi James
– Shamar Springer
– Kelvin Pitman
– Jewel Andrew
– Joshua James
### Barbados Royals
– Rovman Powell
– Jason Holder
– David Miller
– Quinton de Kock
– Maheesh Theekshana
– Alick Athanaze
– Naveen-ul-Haq
– Obed McCoy
– Kevin Wickham
– Keshav Maharaj
– Kadeem Alleyne
– Rahkeem Cornwall
– Isai Thorne
– Nathan Sealy
– Nyeem Young
– Rivaldo Clarke
– Ramon Simmonds
### Guyana Amazon Warriors
– Imran Tahir
– Shimron Hetmyer
– Saim Ayub
– Shai Hope
– Romario Shepherd
– Azam Khan
– Gudakesh Motie
– Rahmanullah Gurbaz
– Keemo Paul
– Dwaine Pretorius
– Kevin Sinclair
– Raymon Reifer
– Ronaldo Alimohamed
– Shamar Joseph
– Kevlon Anderson
– Matthew Nandu
– Junior Sinclair
### St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
– Kyle Mayers
– Rilee Rossouw
– Evin Lewis
– Sherfane Rutherford
– Sikandar Raza
– Anrich Nortje
– Andre Fletcher
– Tristan Stubbs
– Dominic Drakes
– Mikyle Louis
– Odean Smith
– Joshua da Silva
– Veerasammy Permaul
– Ryan John
– Ashmead Nedd
– Johann Layne
– Tabraiz Shamsi
### Saint Lucia Kings
– Heinrich Klaasen
– Faf du Plessis
– Alzarri Joseph
– Johnson Charles
– Roston Chase
– Noor Ahmad
– David Wiese
– Bhanuka Rajapaksa
– Matthew Forde
– Aaron Jones
– Khary Pierre
– Khari Campbell
– Johann Jeremiah
– Shadrack Descarte
– Mikkel Govia
– McKenny Clarke
– Akeem Auguste
– Tim Seifert
### Trinbago Knight Riders
– Kieron Pollard
– Andre Russell
– Sunil Narine
– Nicholas Pooran
– Tim David
– Akeal Hosein
– Jason Roy
– Dwayne Bravo
– Josh Little
– Waqar Salamkheil
– Jayden Seales
– Ali Khan
– Mark Deyal
– Keacy Carty
– Terrence Hinds
– Nathan Edward
– Shaquere Parris
The matches will commence at 4:30 AM IST on regular days, with double-header matches starting at 7:30 PM IST, followed by a second match that kicks off at 4:30 AM IST. Fans can catch the action live on Star Sports channels on TV, and the live streaming of all CPL matches will be available on the Fancode app and website.
As the excitement builds, cricket enthusiasts from around the globe are eagerly awaiting the Caribbean Premier League’s return, promising a thrilling mix of high-energy cricket and the vibrant spirit synonymous with the Caribbean culture. The spotlight will be on every team and every player as they aim to etch their names in the annals of CPL history.
