CPL T20 Team Trinbago Knight Riders 2026: Players, Venue, Match, Salary and Brand Guide
Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) enter the 2026 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as defending champions. The team won its fifth CPL title in 2025 and returns with most of its winning core intact. This guide covers everything fans need to know about the CPL T20 team Trinbago Knight Riders 2026 campaign — the players, home venue, match schedule, salary structure, budget rules, team coach, match time, and brand partners.
Trinbago Knight Riders 2026 Players
Trinbago Knight Riders locked in their core West Indian players through the CPL 2026 draft, held on 15 May 2026. The draft opened a new three-year contract cycle for the league. TKR used its Right to Match Options (RMOs) to keep four key stars from the 2025 title run.
Confirmed players for Trinbago Knight Riders CPL 2026:
- Nicholas Pooran – Captain, wicketkeeper-batter
- Sunil Narine – All-rounder
- Kieron Pollard – All-rounder
- Akeal Hosein – Left-arm spinner
- Justin Greaves – All-rounder
- Dominic Drakes – All-rounder, left-arm pace
- Terrance Hinds – Fast bowler
- Nathan Edward – Bowler (Breakout Player)
- Joshua da Silva – Wicketkeeper-batter (Breakout Player)
- Jyd Goolie – All-rounder
- Dexter Sween – Batter
- Abdul-Raheem Toppin – Batter
Nicholas Pooran continues as captain. He led the team to its title win in 2025.
The biggest squad change is the exit of Andre Russell. He left TKR to join the new CPL franchise, Jamaica Kingsmen, for the 2026 season.
TKR can sign up to five overseas players through direct talks, separate from the draft. As of this writing, Trinbago Knight Riders had not yet announced their full overseas group, though several rival teams had already revealed theirs. Check official TKR channels closer to the 7 August start for the final overseas list.
Trinbago Knight Riders CPL 2026 Venue
Trinbago Knight Riders play their home matches in Trinidad and Tobago, splitting fixtures across two grounds:
- Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain – The main home venue. This historic ground opened in 1896 and holds roughly 20,000 to 25,000 fans, depending on the seating set-up.
- Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba – A newer stadium near San Fernando. It holds about 15,000 fans and has a modern lighting and broadcast set-up.
TKR usually rotates home fixtures between both grounds. In the 2025 season, the team played all its home matches at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. Fans should check each match listing to confirm the exact ground for CPL 2026.
Trinbago Knight Riders CPL 2026 Match Schedule
CPL 2026 runs from 7 August to 20 September 2026. The season features seven teams and 39 matches in total. This is the first year for Jamaica Kingsmen, a new franchise that replaces the Jamaica Tallawahs.
Each team plays 10 matches in the group stage. The top four teams then move into the playoffs, which include an Eliminator, two Qualifiers, and the Final.
Trinbago Knight Riders open their title defence on 8 August 2026 against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. This match takes place at Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent and the Grenadines, a brand-new CPL venue for 2026.
The CPL 2026 Final takes place on 20 September 2026 at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados — the first time Barbados hosts the CPL final.
Trinbago Knight Riders Match Time
Most CPL 2026 matches start at 7:00 PM local Caribbean time. This slot suits evening crowds at the ground and prime-time TV audiences across the region.
Fans outside the Caribbean should convert this to their own time zone. For example, a 7:00 PM start in Trinidad falls in the early morning the next day for viewers in India. Always check the exact kick-off time on the official CPL schedule close to matchday, since broadcasters can adjust start times for certain games.
Trinbago Knight Riders CPL 2026 Salary
CPL does not run a cash auction like the IPL. Instead, it uses a salary-slot system. Each team’s 17-player squad has slots numbered 1 to 17, where slot 1 is the most senior and highest-paid spot. Lower slots go to newer or younger players.
This slot system decides which players a team can retain with an RMO, and it also sets the rules for trades and draft order.
CPL does not publish exact salary figures for individual players. Based on past media reports, average pay in the league has ranged between roughly US$45,000 and US$50,000 per season. Top marquee names have reportedly earned over US$100,000 in a season, with a few star players going higher. Overseas players tend to earn more on average than domestic West Indian players. These figures are industry estimates from past seasons, not official CPL numbers, since the league keeps exact salary details private.
Trinbago Knight Riders CPL 2026 Budget
CPL 2026 marks the start of a new three-year contract cycle running through 2028, and the league reset every team’s roster from scratch for this cycle. Key budget and roster rules for 2026:
- Each team builds a 17-player squad.
- The squad needs 9 senior West Indies players, 5 overseas players, and 3 Breakout Players.
- Teams received four RMOs to use in the May 2026 draft.
- Three RMOs could apply to any player from a team’s 2025 roster.
- One RMO was limited to a home-territory player who held a 2025 salary slot between 7 and 17.
- At least one Breakout Player must play in every matchday XI.
- A team can name a maximum of four overseas players in any matchday XI, even though it can sign five.
These rules replace the league’s older system and are designed to keep spending competitive across all seven CPL franchises.
Trinbago Knight Riders Team Coach
Dwayne Bravo is the head coach of Trinbago Knight Riders for the 2026 season — his second year in the role.
Bravo is a West Indies cricket legend and one of T20 cricket’s most successful all-rounders, ranking among the format’s all-time leading wicket-takers with more than 600 career wickets. He retired from playing during the 2024 CPL season.
Before coaching, Bravo captained TKR from the franchise’s first season in 2013 through 2019, leading the team to its first three CPL titles in 2015, 2017, and 2018. His long history with the franchise makes him a natural fit as head coach.
Trinbago Knight Riders Brand and Sponsors
Trinbago Knight Riders are owned by the Knight Riders Group. Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan leads this group through his company, Red Chillies Entertainment, together with Juhi Chawla and industrialist Jay Mehta.
The same ownership group runs sister franchises around the world, including:
- Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL, India)
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ILT20, UAE)
- Los Angeles Knight Riders (MLC, USA)
This shared branding is why fans often call TKR “the Caribbean version of KKR.”
On the sponsor side, Stake, the global online casino and sportsbook brand, is TKR’s official title partner. Stake signed a multi-year deal with the team in July 2025, and its logo appears prominently on the front of the TKR playing kit.
At the league level, Republic Bank is the title sponsor of the full tournament, officially known as the Republic Bank CPL.
FAQs on CPL T20 Team Trinbago Knight Riders 2026
Who is the captain of Trinbago Knight Riders in CPL 2026? Nicholas Pooran continues as captain for the 2026 season.
Who is the head coach of Trinbago Knight Riders? Dwayne Bravo is the head coach, now in his second season in charge.
Where do Trinbago Knight Riders play their home matches? TKR plays home matches at Queen’s Park Oval and the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, both in Trinidad and Tobago.
When does Trinbago Knight Riders start their CPL 2026 campaign? TKR opens the season on 8 August 2026 against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at Arnos Vale Stadium, St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Final Word
Trinbago Knight Riders head into CPL 2026 as five-time champions with a strong core group intact. With Nicholas Pooran leading the side and Dwayne Bravo guiding from the dugout, the Knight Riders remain one of the teams to watch this CPL season. Keep checking back for updates on the overseas signings and full match list as CPL 2026 draws closer.
