In one of the most dramatic resurgences in recent Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) history, the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) have written an extraordinary underdog story, transforming from a winless 2025 campaign to become the first side to lock in a spot in the 2026 tournament’s championship decider. This Thursday at Bridgetown’s iconic Kensington Oval, Dottin’s squad will clash with the Guyana Amazon Warriors for the title, with captain and veteran all-rounder Deandra Dottin crediting a fundamental shift in team mindset for their stunning reversal of form.
Looking back at the disappointment of 2025, Dottin explained that last year’s squad struggled with overpressure and forced play, a mistake the group has avoided this season. “Last year we were trying to force it a bit too much, but this year we’re just actually letting it come to us,” the skipper said. “We’re sticking to the basics and we’re doing the one percenters right.”
Beyond tactical adjustments, Dottin highlighted the incredible team cohesion the group has built in a remarkably short timeframe, a chemistry rooted in mutual support and shared enjoyment of the game. “Our plans are actually coming together and I really like how we have gelled in such a short space of time, while supporting each other and enjoying each other’s company,” she added.
For Dottin and the entire squad, lifting the WCPL trophy this Thursday would carry far more meaning than a standard championship, coming off a full season without a single victory in 2025. “That would be a really good feeling, probably a feeling that you can’t express. Following last year to be the first team to qualify in the playoffs and going straight to the final, I mean like it’s a really good feeling to be honest,” she admitted.
Even through 2025’s winless slump, Dottin never lost her belief, crediting her faith as a core anchor that kept her outlook positive. She said her confidence grew even further once she saw the 2026 squad assembled, a balanced roster that blends power, experience, and exciting young homegrown talent.
“After we came together and picked the squad…I mean like we have a really good squad. We have some power hitters, we have some experienced players as well and also the regional and local players that are actually in the squad who are young and are actually playing good cricket as well,” Dottin explained. “After having a couple of training sessions before the start of the tournament, you have that feeling that something good is gonna happen. But, it’s just a matter of cricket being played on the day and sticking to the basics consistently.”
TKR’s 2026 campaign has already backed up that pre-tournament optimism: they opened their run with a 21-run upset over three-time champions Barbados Tridents, followed by a dominant nine-wicket win over Jamaica Empress Women. Their only defeat so far came at the hands of Thursday’s opponent, the Guyana Amazon Warriors, who defeated TKR by 25 runs on September 12.
If TKR can reverse that result and claim the title, Dottin says she wants the team’s never-say-die attitude to be their lasting legacy for fans. “I mean there are other teams that would have actually probably given up, but we as TKR women’s team, we just always try to push. It’s a never say never situation where we always have a chance, we always have an opportunity, by the grace of God and the help and strength that he’s given us to play in this tournament,” the captain said.