The Women's CPL has thrown open its doors to a fresh wave of Indian talent in 2026, with four players from India locked in as overseas signings for the Caribbean showpiece starting September 5 at Kensington Oval.
Pooja Vastrakar, Kiran Navgire, Yastika Bhatia and Shikha Pandey will all be on duty in Barbados this year, spread across two heavyweight contenders.
Vastrakar to champion Tridents’ title defence
Defending champions Barbados Tridents have moved decisively. They have snapped up allrounder Pooja Vastrakar, who turned out briefly for RCB in WPL 2026, and hard-hitting batter Kiran Navgire as part of a refreshed overseas core.
They will share the dressing room with New Zealand veterans Suzie Bates and Maddy Green, giving the Tridents a seasoned, multi-dimensional top order and middle core. With Vastrakar’s seam and lower-order hitting alongside Bates’ experience and Green’s stability, Barbados look intent on retaining control of the tournament they won last time out.
Pandey and Bhatia bolster TKR’s spine
Across the water, Trinbago Knight Riders have doubled down on familiarity and firepower. Shikha Pandey, who has already experienced the WCPL with TKR, returns to lead their pace attack again.
This time, she is joined by wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia, set for her first taste of the competition. Bhatia’s presence sharpens Trinbago’s top-order options and adds a left-handed dimension behind the stumps.
TKR have gone heavy on proven quality around the Indian pair. South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp, one of the most complete allrounders in the women’s game, links up with big-hitting Australians Laura Harris and Madeline Penna. It is a group built for impact: power, pace and experience stacked through the middle.
Lanning leads new-look Jamaica Express
The newest name in the league, Jamaica Express, have wasted no time in making a statement. They have secured Meg Lanning, one of the modern greats of the women’s game, for what will be her first-ever appearance in the WCPL.
Alongside Lanning, Ireland’s Amy Hunter, South Africa’s Nonku Mlaba, Pakistan’s Syeda Aroob Shah and New Zealand’s Rosemary Mair complete a diverse overseas unit. Youth, craft and leadership sit side by side in a squad that will be watched closely in its debut season.
South African steel for Warriors
Guyana Amazon Warriors have gone all-in on South African steel. Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tyron and Shabnim Ismail form a formidable quartet, covering explosive batting, seam, and high-end pace.
They are joined by Australia’s Erin Burns, returning to a major stage seven years after her last international outing. In that overseas group, only Brits has not played in the tournament before, underlining how heavily Warriors have leaned on WCPL experience.
Barbados set for centre stage
Every ball of the 2026 Women’s CPL will be played at Kensington Oval in Barbados, with the tournament running from September 5 to the final on September 17.
With Indian talent spread across two contenders, a new franchise fronted by Meg Lanning, and a South Africa-heavy Warriors side, the overseas rosters are set. The question now is simple: who turns that paper strength into a Caribbean title run under the Barbados lights?
