The 2026 Caribbean Premier League ended with a first-time champion, a record-setting century and a Jamaican franchise that turned its return to the competition into a run all the way to the Final.
The Antigua & Barbuda Falcons are champions of the Caribbean.
At Kensington Oval in Barbados, the Falcons defeated the Jamaica Kingsmen by eight wickets to capture the 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League title — the first championship in the history of the Antigua & Barbuda franchise.
The result brought one storybook run to its conclusion while completing another.
For Antigua & Barbuda, it was the breakthrough championship the franchise had been chasing.
For Jamaica, it was the final chapter of a season that marked the island’s return to the CPL stage.
A Final Filled With History
Jamaica entered the Final with momentum after surviving the knockout rounds and immediately showed its attacking intentions.
At the center of the innings was Maaz Sadaqat.
The young opener produced 114 runs and reached his hundred from just 49 balls, becoming the first batter in Caribbean Premier League history to score a century in a Final.
It was another extraordinary performance from a player who had become one of the defining figures of Jamaica’s postseason run.
But around him, Antigua & Barbuda found the breakthroughs it needed.
Sufyan Moqim delivered the decisive spell, taking four wickets for just 14 runs as Jamaica lost four wickets for three runs during a crucial stretch of the innings.
The Kingsmen eventually finished on 170/9.
Antigua & Barbuda responded aggressively.
Rahkeem Cornwall immediately shifted the tone of the chase, scoring 20 runs in the opening over before being dismissed off the final delivery. From there, the Falcons maintained control.
Amir Jangoo and Hasan Nawaz eventually combined for an unbeaten 89-run partnership, with Nawaz sending the winning runs over the boundary for six. The Falcons finished at 173/2 with 20 balls remaining. Champions for the first time.
Jamaica Returns to the CPL
The Final carried additional significance because of how Jamaica arrived there.
The Jamaica Kingsmen were officially introduced earlier this year as the country’s new CPL franchise, returning Jamaica to the competition following two seasons without a Jamaica-based team.
Based in Kingston with Sabina Park as their home ground, the Kingsmen represented a new identity rather than a continuation of the former Jamaica Tallawahs franchise, and their first season was anything but straightforward. Jamaica lost its first three matches.
Instead of allowing the slow start to define the campaign, the Kingsmen recovered, found enough form to reach the postseason and entered the knockout rounds with an opportunity to completely rewrite their season. They did exactly that.
When Jamaica Found Its Moment
Against the Barbados Tridents in the Eliminator, Jamaica produced one of its strongest performances of the tournament.
Sadaqat smashed 112 as the Kingsmen completed a nine-wicket victory. At just 21 years old, he became the youngest centurion in CPL history. Suddenly, Jamaica was one victory away from the Final.
That victory would have to come against the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
Guyana set Jamaica a daunting target of 207 in Qualifier 2, powered by an unbeaten century from Shimron Hetmyer. The Kingsmen responded fearlessly. Sadaqat attacked early, Keacy Carty helped stabilize the innings, and captain Rovman Powell delivered when the match tightened late.
Jamaica reached 207/5 to complete the chase and book a place in the CPL championship game. From three straight losses to the Final.
Antigua & Barbuda Finish the Job
Waiting for Jamaica was an Antigua & Barbuda team that had displayed balance throughout the competition.
The Falcons had the bowlers capable of breaking partnerships, the batting depth required to chase under pressure and the composure to finish matches when the tournament reached its biggest stage.
Those qualities ultimately decided the championship. Moqim broke Jamaica’s middle order. Jangoo and Nawaz finished the chase, and when the final ball disappeared over the boundary, Antigua & Barbuda had its first CPL crown.
More Than One Story Came Out of Barbados
Only one team could leave Kensington Oval with the trophy. That team was Antigua & Barbuda. But the 2026 Final also represented something significant for Jamaican cricket.
Jamaica returned to the Caribbean Premier League with a new franchise, a new identity and a new ownership structure — and reached the championship match in its first season. The Kingsmen did not complete the fairytale.
They did, however, re-establish Jamaica on one of Caribbean cricket’s most visible stages. For Antigua & Barbuda, the season ends with history. For Jamaica, it may represent only the beginning.
Antigua & Barbuda Falcons — 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League Champions.
Featured Images by:
Antigua & Barbuda Falcons celebrate their 2026 CPL championship.
Photo: CPL T20
Jamaica Kingsmen playoff image: Maaz Sadaqat celebrates during Jamaica’s CPL postseason run.
Photo: Randy Brooks/CPL T20
Jamaica Kingsmen Final image: Jamaica Kingsmen compete during the 2026 CPL Final.
Photo: Randy Brooks/CPL T20