The seven-team CPL 2026 will begin on August 7. Here are the major overseas players to look out for in this year’s edition.
Antigua & Barbuda Falcons
Kusal Perera is expected to be available for the entirety of CPL 2026. The Pakistan contingent – Shadab Khan, Sufyan Moqim, Hasan Nawaz – will miss the first three games to play in the National Champions Cup, their domestic List-A tournament, as may Moeen Ali for The Hundred. Until then, ABF will bank on Usama Mir, the Pakistani leg-spinner who had played in the 2019 and 2025 editions, Tajinder Singh and Milind Kumar.
Barbados Tridents
Available for the full season, veteran South African keeper-opener Quinton de Kock is BT’s biggest star. Chris Green, Daniel Sams, and George Linde also have space in their calendars, enabling BT to have a strong overseas unit, which will be bolstered further with the arrival of Mujeeb Ur Rahman later in the league.
Guyana Amazon Warriors
GAW will be led by Imran Tahir, who recently captained them to their second consecutive Global Super League title. Dwaine Pretorius, Tahir’s teammate in that campaign, will be another key figure, as will be Glenn Phillips. Since the final dates of the Afghanistan-India series have not been announced, Mohammad Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz will join them.
Jamaica Kingsmen
Of JK’s five Pakistanis, Hassan Khan and Hunain Shah will be available from the onset, while Saim Ayub (the second-ranked men’s T20I all-rounder in the world), Usman Khan, and Maaz Sadaqat will join after five matches. Reeza Hendricks, Tayyab Arif, and Shayan Jahangir will fill in for these early games.
St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
LPL and interantional commitments will keep Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga away from the first game and the playoffs of CPL 2026. Similarly, Naseem Shah will miss the first three games. However, Afghanistan left-arm wrist-spinner Waqar Salamkheil will be available to SKNP for the entirety of CPL 2026. Nikhil Chaudhary, currently playing in The Hundred, could miss a first couple of games as well.
Saint Lucia Kings
Like the other Sri Lankans, Maheesh Theekshana and Charith Asalanka will miss the games at the extreme ends of CPL 2026. Noor Ahmad’s joining date, too, will depend on how far the Manchester Super Giants proceed in The Hundred and when Afghanistan play India. At the same time, SLK will get Shadley van Schalkwyk, the USA’s hero at the 2026 T20 World Cup, for the full season. Tim Seifert, also on The hundred duties, could miss the first few games.
Trinbago Knight Riders
TKR will have more overseas stars available for the full season than any other franchise at CPL 2026. Colin Munro, Alex Hales, Matthew Breetzke, and Amshi de Silva (the uncapped former Sri Lankan all-rounder who had a wonderful MLC and may play for the USA) have no ongoing commitment for any international or franchise team. The only exception to this is Usman Tariq, who is currently playing for the Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred and may miss up to a couple of games.
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