The Antigua and Barbuda Falcons won their first CPL title on Sunday. They beat Jamaica Kingsmen by eight wickets in the final in Bridgetown. It was only the Falcons’ third season in the tournament. Jamaica were playing in their first CPL final.
Jamaica batted first and made 170 for 9. Maaz Sadaqat played a lone hand for them. He smashed 114 off just 58 balls, with nine sixes and eight fours. But no one else really supported him. Saim Ayub made 29, and three of the top six were out for ducks. Sadaqat scored more than half of his team’s runs.
At one point, Jamaica looked set for a much bigger total. They were 110 for 2, with Sadaqat and Ayub sharing an 80-run stand. Then Sufyan Moqim changed the game. He took 4 for 14, including two wickets in the 12th over. Jamaica collapsed from 110 for 2 to 113 for 6 and never recovered.
The chase was never really in doubt. Rahkeem Cornwall got the Falcons off to a flying start. He hit two fours and two sixes in a 20-run opening over before being bowled on the last ball. Evin Lewis and Amir Jangoo then kept the scoreboard moving. Their 64-run partnership for the second wicket put the team in control.
Lewis made 38 before he was out. After that, Jangoo and Hasan Nawaz finished the job. They shared an unbeaten 89-run stand. Jangoo remained 57 not out, and Nawaz was 47 not out. The Falcons reached the target with 20 balls to spare.
Shadab Khan was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. He scored 132 runs and took 11 wickets in the competition.
Shadab Khan and Sufyan Moqim Star as Antigua and Barbuda Falcons Win Maiden CPL Title
The Antigua and Barbuda Falcons won their first CPL title in just their third season. They beat Jamaica Kingsmen by eight wickets in the final in Bridgetown. Two Pakistani players played big roles in the win: Shadab Khan and Sufyan Moqim.
Shadab was named Player of the Tournament. He took 11 wickets in seven innings with an economy rate of 4.89. He also scored 132 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 227.58. Moqim took four-wicket hauls in both Qualifier 1 and the final. In the final, his 4 for 14 helped restrict Jamaica to 170 for 9. After the match, Moqim dedicated his Player of the Match award to Curtly Ambrose, the Falcons’ bowling coach. It was the night before Ambrose’s 63rd birthday. Moqim called him “the legend” and said he was happy to make it memorable.
Moqim said his plan was to control line and length. There was a lot of dew, so it was not easy. But he managed to land the ball where he wanted. He used a lot of variations, and that brought him success.
Shadab spoke about being mentally free. He said that mindset helped him perform. As an all-rounder, he tries to give everything on the field, whether with bat or ball. He said he had been struggling for the last couple of years, so he needed a performance like this. He hoped it would give him rhythm and confidence. He also said that when you are mentally free, you accept failure. But when you are free, you succeed most of the time.
In Qualifier 1, Shadab took 4 for 16, including a hat-trick. His victims were Shimron Hetmyer, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Quentin Sampson. Moqim had 4 for 13 in that game, which was slightly better figures. But Shadab got the award because of the hat-trick. Shadab said that kind of milestone is important in a career. Getting it in the qualifiers, on a bigger occasion, was great. He said he is happiest when the team wins and he contributes.
FAQs
Q. Who won the CPL 2026 title?
A. Antigua and Barbuda Falcons won their first CPL title.
Q. Who did the Falcons beat in the final?
A. They beat Jamaica Kingsmen by eight wickets.
Q. How many runs did Maaz Sadaqat score?
A. Sadaqat scored 114 runs from 58 balls.
Q. Who took four wickets for the Falcons?
A. Sufyan Moqim took 4 for 14.
Q. Who was named CPL 2026 MVP?
A. Shadab Khan was named the tournament’s MVP.
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