A new franchise, backed by American investment group Kingsmen Sports Enterprise, will rejoin the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in Jamaica for the 2026 season, ending a six-year absence of professional Twenty20 cricket from the island nation. The announcement, made on Tuesday, follows an agreement between the CPL and the Jamaican government, paving the way for four matches to be played at Sabina Park.
Jamaica last hosted a CPL match in 2019. The previous Jamaica-based franchise, the Jamaica Tallawahs, were sold back to the league in late 2023 after the former owner, Kris Persaud, cited a lack of governmental support. Persaud subsequently acquired the rights to a team in Antigua, now known as the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons. The absence of a Jamaican franchise for the 2024 and 2025 seasons marked a significant gap in the league’s geographic representation.
Kingsmen Sports Enterprise, led by Pakistani entrepreneur Fawad Sarwar, recently invested in a franchise in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), named Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen, and too operates Chicago Kingsmen in Minor League Cricket in the United States. Sarwar stated that the return of a CPL franchise to Jamaica is intended to position the island as “a global hub for cricket, culture and sportainment.” A formal name for the new Jamaican franchise has not yet been publicly disclosed.
The return of CPL cricket to Jamaica is expected to provide a substantial economic boost to the island, impacting tourism, hospitality, transportation, and small and medium-sized enterprises. League officials anticipate thousands of visiting fans, players, officials, and media personnel, leading to increased hotel occupancy and local spending. The tournament’s 2025 season achieved a combined digital and broadcast viewership exceeding one billion, offering significant international exposure for Jamaica.
Pete Russell, Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Premier League, described Jamaica as having “a rich cricketing heritage and an unmistakable energy.” Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, stated that the government views the CPL’s return as a means of promoting Jamaican culture on a global stage and inspiring young people through sport.
Although the GMR Group, an Indian infrastructure conglomerate with ownership stakes in the Delhi Capitals and other sports teams, had previously engaged in advanced talks to revive a Jamaican franchise last year, those negotiations ultimately fell through, clearing the path for Kingsmen’s acquisition. The 2026 CPL season is scheduled to run from early August to September 21.
