The Women’s Caribbean Premier League will enter its fifth edition with a new team and a strong overseas cast. Several established international names have shown their interest in featuring in the tournament and finally 19 of them have made the cut.
On the other hand, Jamaica Empress will join the competition as the fourth franchise, with former Australia captain Meg Lanning among the headline signings. The 34-year-old will make her WCPL debut, while South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp is also set for her first appearance in the tournament at the age of 36.
New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail and Erin Burns of Australia are among the other prominent overseas names returning to the league. Ismail and Burns will return to Guyana Amazon Warriors after missing the 2025 season, while Bates will represent Barbados Tridents.
The Tridents have assembled an overseas group featuring Bates and New Zealand’s Maddy Green alongside India’s Pooja Vastrakar and Kiran Navgire. Green will also make her WCPL debut. Meanwhile, Pooja’s participation is particularly notable as it will mark her return to official T20 cricket following a lengthy injury absence. She last played an official T20 in October 2024, although she recently appeared in the Madhya Pradesh T20 League.
In total, India will have four players in the tournament. Apart from Pooja and Kiran, Shikha Pandey and Yastika Bhatia will also feature in the tournament as they will represent Trinbago Knight Riders. Meanwhile, Pandey previously represented TKR in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, while the other three Indians will make their WCPL debuts. TKR’s overseas contingent also includes Australia’s Laura Harris and Madeline Penna and South Africa’s Kapp.
Guyana Amazon Warriors have added South Africa’s Chloe Tryon, Tazmin Brits and Nadine de Klerk. Australia’s Burns completes the Warriors’ group alongside the three South Africans.
Lastly, Empress have signed players from five different countries, including Pakistan legspinner Syeda Aroob Shah. The 22-year-old will make her WCPL debut alongside Lanning, Kapp and two other overseas debutants and they will be joined by South Africa’s Nonkululeko Mlaba. Ireland’s Amy Hunter is the only member of the group with previous WCPL experience after playing for Amazon Warriors last season.
WCPL overseas signings
Barbados Tridents: Maddy Green, Suzie Bates, Pooja Vastrakar, Kiran Navgire
Guyana Amazon Warriors: Shabnim Ismail, Erin Burns, Chloe Tryon, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk
Jamaica Empress: Meg Lanning, Amy Hunter, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Syeda Aroob Shah, Rosemary Mair
Trinbago Knight Riders: Marizanne Kapp, Shikha Pandey, Laura Harris, Madeline Penna, Yastika Bhatia