The 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) draft has wrapped up, giving Saint Lucia Kings supporters their first clear look at how the defending 2024 champions will shape up for the upcoming tournament. The draft brought sweeping roster changes, headlined by the departure of several long-time fan favorites and franchise staples.
The biggest loss for the Kings is Johnson Charles, the league’s all-time leading run-scorer for the franchise. Charles was selected by St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the draft, where he will reunite with Andre Fletcher – his long-time opening batting partner from both his Kings tenure and his time representing Windward Islands in domestic regional cricket. Saint Lucian all-rounder Shadrack Descartes is also on the move, set to join the revamped Barbados Tridents, a franchise that recently confirmed it will return to its original branding after years under a different name. Another high-profile exit is former Kings leading fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who will now represent his home franchise Antigua & Barbuda Falcons.
This year’s CPL draft came with updated rule changes, sparked by the introduction of the league’s newest expansion side, the Jamaica Kingsmen. Under the revised regulations, every participating team can carry a 17-player squad, with mandatory quotas of nine senior West Indies national team players and three young breakout prospects. For returning teams, the six established franchises were each granted four Right to Match (RMO) options, a mechanism that allows clubs to retain their 2025 roster players if another side puts in a draft selection for them. The expansion Jamaica Kingsmen received a single RMO, which they can only use to retain a Jamaican player selected by another side during the draft process.
The Saint Lucia Kings made full use of their allotted RMO options to lock in four key players from their recent roster. The franchise successfully retained veteran all-rounder Roston Chase, rapidly rising all-round talent Matthew Forde, and promising local fast-bowling all-rounder Keon Gaston. They also exercised their RMO to keep breakout star Ackeem Auguste, who hit the first half-century of his CPL career during the 2025 tournament and quickly became a fan favorite across the league.
Beyond retaining core talent, the Kings pulled off several high-upside new signings to fill the gaps left by departing players. One of the most notable acquisitions is McKenny Clarke, a Saint Lucia native who is returning to the franchise after back-to-back CPL title wins in 2024 and 2025 – the first with the Kings, and the second with Trinbago Knight Riders. Clarke turned in standout performances for TKR during their 2025 championship run, particularly for his elite fielding, and the Kings are counting on his energetic young play to boost their chances of adding another trophy to their cabinet.
Joining Clarke in the new batch of signings is 19-year-old wicketkeeper-opener Jewel Andrew, who made his senior West Indies international debut just last year and is already ranked among the most promising young batting talents in the Caribbean. The Kings also added consistent slow bowler Joshua Bishop, left-arm spin specialist Damion Joachim and Barbadian medium pace bowler Amari Goodridge to their roster for 2026.
The draft selection is not the final step in building the Saint Lucia Kings squad for the 2026 season. Over the coming weeks, all CPL franchises will have the opportunity to sign up to five additional overseas players. These upcoming international signings are expected to bring valuable high-level experience to the Kings, as the side chases its second CPL championship title after lifting the trophy in 2024.