The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is a carnival of cricket in a true sense. Why so?
The local and overseas players never fail to amaze fans with their impressive performances. And all this while staying within the limit set on the squad size.
So what’s the squad size in the CPL?
Every CPL team can sign up to 17 players. This number includes local players, emerging talents, and, of course, the overseas cricketers.
The CPL franchises can have a maximum of five overseas players in their overall squad. And the rest of the 12 slots are a mix of local and emerging West Indies players.
Each team signs the players in the draft. They can even pre-sign players, local or overseas, before the main draft.
But how many overseas players can a CPL team have in the XI?
The CPL follows the standard overseas player’s rule. A team can field, at the most, four foreign players in the XI.
But the number can go up to five. How so?
It’s simple, actually. Teams need to add one player from the West Indies Breakout League in their XI.
So don’t be stunned to see five overseas cricketers in action. It means that the team has one Breakout League player on their roster.
Check overseas player limit in other T20 leagues here
How Many Overseas Players Are Allowed in IPL Teams?
How Many Overseas Players Are Allowed in a WPL Team?
How Many Overseas Players are Allowed in a BBL Squad?
How Many Overseas Players Are Allowed in a CPL Team?
Now, what’s the Breakout League?
You can think of it as a development tournament. Cricket West Indies (CWI) started the Breakout League in April 2025.
CWI aims to spot and develop budding players in the Caribbean islands through this league. But it’s only open to players with limited experience.
The board has put out an age criterion of 30 or below, along with less than 40 T20 caps and less than 10 T20I appearances. Such players represent six teams in the Breakout League, which are associated with CPL franchises.
Now, the CPL teams, impressed with a player’s potential, can provide them further chances in the CPL. So, it’s a win-win for franchises and players.
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