The Caribbean Premier League (CPL), one of the world’s most exciting regional Twenty20 cricket tournaments, is moving forward with preparations for its 2026 season by doubling down on its commitment to nurturing homegrown emerging talent. Ahead of the upcoming player draft, every CPL franchise has exercised their one allowed pre-draft retention, all of which went to young prospects in the league’s mandatory Breakout Player category.
Leading the group of retained rising stars is 24-year-old left-arm fast bowler Ramon Simmonds, who will remain with the Barbados Royals. A native of Barbados, Simmonds has already earned four T20 international caps for the West Indies national team, marking him as one of the most promising young fast bowling talents in the Caribbean.
The five other Breakout Players retained by their respective franchises include Joshua James, who will stay with the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons; Quentin Sampson, retained by the Guyana Amazon Warriors; Navin Bidaisee, who remains with the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots; Ackeem Auguste, held by the Saint Lucia Kings; and Nathan Edward, retained by the Trinbago Knight Riders.
All six selected players earned their retention spots thanks to strong recent performances, proven on-field potential, and rapidly growing influence across regional domestic cricket circuits. Under the 2026 CPL competition rules, each franchise will ultimately include three Breakout Players in their final full season squad. To ensure these young prospects get meaningful high-level game time, the league has also introduced a mandate requiring every team to play at least one Breakout Player in every match of the upcoming season.
This regulatory structure marks a clear, intentional step forward for the CPL’s long-running mission to cultivate emerging cricket talent across the Caribbean. By reserving the only allowed pre-draft retention exclusively for a Breakout Player, league organizers have guaranteed that young domestic prospects get priority attention and secure spots in squad plans ahead of the open draft. With all pre-draft business now complete, all six CPL franchises will fill their remaining vacant roster spots during the upcoming player selection event, which is shaping up to be one of the most competitive and highly anticipated drafts in the league’s history.