CPL reviews acquisition and draft rules ahead of 2026 season

​Draft selections to be announced on May 15

The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has revised the Player Acquisition and Draft Rules for the three-year contract cycle covering 2026 to 2028.

Squad Composition

Each franchise will assemble a 17-player squad consisting of: nine senior West Indies players, five overseas players and three Breakout Players

Jamaica Kingsmen – Special Draft Provision

As the league’s new franchise, the Jamaica Kingsmen will receive special draft privileges:

They will have the option to make the first three picks in draft, restricted to selecting only Jamaican players

The Kingsmen are not obliged to use all three of these picks

These selections cannot be challenged using the Right to Match Option (RMO).

During this phase, the Kingsmen may select a maximum of one player from any single existing team.

Any team that loses a player to the Kingsmen will receive an additional RMO.

Draft Order

From this point onwards, selections will follow a structured order based on the 2025 league standings, ensuring competitive parity across all teams.

Right to Match Option (RMO)

Franchises will have access to RMOs, allowing them to retain players from their 2025 squads if those players are selected by another team during the draft.

Each existing team will begin the draft with four RMOs

Three of the RMOs can be used on players who were in any salary slot on their 2025 roster

One RMO can only be used on players who were in salary slots 7 to 17 and are a national in the franchise’s home territory

Teams that lose a player to the Jamaica Kingsmen at the start of the draft will be given one additional RMO, exercisable in any round on players who were in any salary slot on their 2025 roster

The Jamaica Kingsmen will have one RMO which may be exercised on any Jamaican player. If this player played in the 2025 CPL, he must have occupied a salary slot between 7 and 17

Breakout Player Retention

Each existing franchise was allowed to retain one Breakout Player from its 2025 squad prior to the draft. This is the only pre-draft retention mechanism permitted for 2026.

Breakout Player Requirement

Breakout Players remain central to CPL’s development strategy. Each team must include at least one player selected in Rounds 15–17 in every matchday XI throughout the tournament.

Overseas Players

Teams may sign up to five overseas players through direct negotiations. They  will not be part of the draft, with a maximum of four overseas to be included in any matchday XI.