BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — Cricket history was made at Kensington Oval on Wednesday, as expansion franchise Antigua and Barbuda Falcons capped a fairytale 2026 campaign by lifting their first-ever Caribbean Premier League (CPL) trophy, securing a commanding eight-wicket victory over the Jamaica Kingsmen in the tournament decider.
Having entered the league just two years prior in 2024, the Falcons turned their underdog status into a championship win, chasing down Jamaica’s total of 170 for nine with more than three overs left to close out the match at 173 for two in 16.4 overs. The historic win marks the first major title for the fledgling franchise, adding a new name to the CPL’s roll of honor that has grown since the league’s launch in 2013.
The match delivered a dramatic back-and-forth contest, starting when Falcons skipper won the coin toss and elected to bowl first. The decision looked set to backfire after Jamaica batsman Maaz Sadaqat delivered a record-breaking innings, smashing the first ever century in a CPL final off just 49 deliveries. Sadaqat finished with 114 runs from 58 balls, peppered with eight fours and nine towering sixes, but received almost no support from the rest of Jamaica’s batting line-up.
Falcons spinner Sufyan Moqim delivered a match-defining four-over spell, ripping through the Kingsmen’s order to claim four wickets for a mere 14 runs. Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph chipped in with two wickets for 27 runs, while Jayden Seales, Shadab Khan and Shamar Springer each picked up one dismissal to cap a dominant bowling performance. A catastrophic middle-order collapse saw Jamaica lose four wickets for just three runs, leaving Sadaqat to drag the side to a below-par final total of 170 for nine at the end of 20 overs.
Opening their chase aggressively, the Falcons got off to a flying start that never let up. Rahkeem Cornwall smashed 20 runs from just six deliveries in the opening over before falling, and Evin Lewis kept the momentum going with 38 runs from 26 balls, pushing the Falcons to 76 for one by the end of the mandatory six-over powerplay. When Lewis fell with the score at 84, the Falcons did not let Jamaica claw their way back into the match.
Opener Amir Jangoo and batsman Hasan Nawaz put together an unbroken 89-run partnership to seal the championship. Jangoo finished unbeaten on 57 from 34 deliveries, while Nawaz hit an unbeaten 47 from 35, closing out the win with a boundary six that sent the Falcons’ dugout into celebration.
Moqim’s devastating bowling spell earned him Player of the Match honors, while Falcons all-rounder Shadab Khan was named Player of the Series for his standout all-tournament performance, finishing with 132 runs with the bat and 11 wickets with the ball.
Off the field of the final, the 2026 CPL tournament also closed out its individual statistical races. South African wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock ended the competition as the leading run-scorer, notching 392 runs from 11 innings. Shimron Hetmyer finished second with 367 runs, while Sadaqat’s final-century push lifted him to third place with 363 runs from seven innings. The bowling leaderboard was far closer, with Imran Tahir, Hunain Shah, Alzarri Joseph and Matthew Forde all ending the tournament with 16 wickets apiece, with Tahir claiming the top spot on the standings via net run rate.
With their 2026 win, the Falcons become the newest addition to the CPL’s list of title holders. The league’s first championship in 2013 went to Jamaica Tallawahs, and previous winners also include Barbados Tridents, Trinbago Knight Riders, St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Guyana Amazon Warriors and Saint Lucia Kings. Trinbago Knight Riders took home the 2025 title, making Antigua and Barbuda the 2026 defending champions moving into the next season.