CPL breaks new ground: Arnos Vale to host matches as league expands to eight nations

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent – The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is set to make history this summer, announcing a landmark expansion that will see matches played in a record-equalling eight nations, including a first-ever fixture at Arnos Vale in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The tournament, which has confirmed an August 7 start date, will run until September 20.

For the first time, cricket fans in St Vincent will witness CPL action at Arnos Vale, a venue steeped in Caribbean cricket history.

The ground has previously hosted 36 men’s internationals, including five matches during the 2024 T20 World Cup, where spin bowling famously dominated proceedings.

The CPL’s footprint now spans Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

As part of the expansion, the league introduced a seventh franchise this year with the Jamaica Kingsmen. Their addition expands the roster of teams, with five different sides set to compete in the three confirmed fixtures at Arnos Vale.

While the CPL has yet to release a full fixture list, the league confirmed that all playoff drama, including the eliminator, two qualifiers, and the championship final, will be staged at the historic Kensington Oval in Barbados from September 16 to 20.

However, the CPL’s schedule clashes significantly with England’s men’s Hundred competition. The overlap will directly impact the availability of two of the Caribbean’s biggest white-ball stars, Nicholas Pooran and Sherfane Rutherford, who are expected to miss the final stages of MI London’s season.

Fans across the region will be eagerly awaiting the full schedule release, with the promise of a truly pan-Caribbean celebration of T20 cricket.

CMC