St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 2026 Squad: Evin Lewis & Full Players List
When Evin Lewis left the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots for the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons this off-season, it raised a question that every Patriots fan was quietly asking: how do you replace over a decade of explosive left-handed opening batting in one draft?
The answer, as it turned out, was to sign the greatest run-scorer in CPL history.
Johnson Charles — 3,519 runs across 127 innings, the all-time leading run-getter in the Caribbean Premier League — has joined the Patriots for the 2026 season. In one move, the franchise has not only addressed the Lewis-shaped gap at the top of the order but potentially upgraded it. Charles slots in alongside Andre Fletcher, who sits second on the all-time CPL run-scoring charts. That’s the first and second on the all-time list opening together for the same franchise.
CPL 2026: Where the Patriots Stand
The 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League runs from August 7 to September 20, spanning eight Caribbean nations. The Patriots will play home matches at Warner Park Sporting Complex in Basseterre — a compact venue that rewards aggressive batting and has historically been a genuine home advantage for the St Kitts franchise.
After winning their only CPL title in 2021 under a memorable playoff campaign, the Patriots have spent recent seasons bouncing between mid-table respectability and genuine playoff pushes without quite breaking through. With a settled captain in Jason Holder, a genuinely transformed batting lineup, and retained core performers across every department, the 2026 edition feels like a watershed moment.
St Kitts & Nevis Patriots CPL 2026 Full Squad
West Indian Players (Confirmed at Draft)
| Player | Role | Territory |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson Charles | Batter | St Lucia / St Vincent |
| Jason Holder | All-Rounder | Barbados |
| Kyle Mayers | All-Rounder | Barbados |
| Andre Fletcher | Wicket-Keeper/Batter | St Vincent & Grenadines |
| Alick Athanaze | Batter | St Vincent & Grenadines |
| Obed McCoy | Bowler (Left-arm pace) | St Vincent & Grenadines |
| Kevin Wickham | All-Rounder | St Vincent & Grenadines |
| Ashmead Nedd | Bowler (Left-arm spin) | Guyana |
| Jeremiah Louis | All-Rounder | St Lucia |
| Micah McKenzie | Batter | St Kitts & Nevis |
| Navin Bidaisee | Bowler | St Kitts & Nevis |
| Mikyle Louis | Batter | St Lucia |
Overseas Players (Retained/Announced)
| Player | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Naseem Shah | Bowler (Right-arm fast) | Pakistan |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | Bowler (Left-arm fast) | Afghanistan |
| Waqar Salamkheil | Bowler (Left-arm wrist spin) | Afghanistan |
| Mohammad Nawaz | All-Rounder | Pakistan |
| Corbin Bosch | All-Rounder | South Africa |
| Rilee Rossouw | Batter | South Africa |
Team Captain & Coach
Captain: Jason Holder
Home Ground: Warner Park Sporting Complex, Basseterre, St Kitts
CPL Titles: 1 (2021)
Key Players To Watch
The Headline Move: Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher at the Top
Let’s sit with this for a moment, because it genuinely deserves context.
Johnson Charles is the leading run-getter in the CPL, with 3,519 runs in 127 innings. Andre Fletcher — retained by the Patriots — sits second on that same all-time list. Having the top two run-scorers in Caribbean Premier League history opening the batting together is not something that has happened before. It’s a genuinely remarkable piece of squad construction.
Charles has reinvented himself against left-arm spin — previously a weakness — by deploying reverse-sweeps and switch-hits, which suggests a player who isn’t resting on reputation but actively evolving. That kind of self-awareness makes him more dangerous at 37 than he was at 30.
Charles is set to slot in at the top in place of Evin Lewis, who shifted to Antigua & Barbuda Falcons after spending a decade at the Patriots. Lewis leaving after such a long tenure is a significant moment — but if the Patriots were going to rebuild their opening partnership, they’ve done so with the most decorated batting name available in the draft.
Andre Fletcher: A Quiet Record-Holder
Andre Fletcher doesn’t always grab the back-page headlines, but the numbers tell their own story. Second on the all-time CPL run-scoring charts, across a career that has been defined by consistent, smart top-order batting in Caribbean conditions, Fletcher remains one of the most reliable batters in the competition.
His wicket-keeping adds tactical flexibility too — giving the Patriots a second gloveman option and allowing the captain to manage a large batting lineup without losing specialist skill sets.
Fletcher and Charles at the top will put enormous pressure on any bowling attack in CPL 2026. Getting them both out cheaply and consistently will be a challenge that no franchise can take for granted.
Jason Holder: The Anchor of Everything
There are very few players in Caribbean cricket who bring what Jason Holder brings to a franchise setup. The big Barbadian all-rounder has been one of West Indies’ most dependable international performers across all formats for over a decade — a tall, disciplined seam bowler with genuine pace and movement, and a lower-order batter who can accelerate the innings when needed.
As captain of the Patriots, Holder sets the tone both in the dressing room and on the field. His tactical knowledge is considerable — he’s led West Indies in Test cricket under significant pressure and understands how to read the game in the middle overs when T20 matches are usually won and lost.
At Warner Park in Basseterre — a ground that can offer good early movement for pace — Holder’s ability to nip the ball around with his awkward height and sharp seam position makes him particularly dangerous. If the Patriots are going to make the playoffs in 2026, Holder’s bowling figures will likely have a strong correlation with their results.
Kyle Mayers: The All-Round Enforcer
Kyle Mayers was retained via Right to Match, and it’s easy to see why. The left-handed Barbadian all-rounder brings genuine two-way value — clean ball-striking in the middle order and medium-pace bowling that can surprise batters who’ve been feasting on spin.
In T20 cricket, left-arm pace at pace-friendly conditions can be extremely effective. Mayers isn’t just a utility option — he’s a proper match-winner on his day, the kind of player who can contribute 30 quickfire runs with the bat and then take two critical wickets with the ball in the same game.
Pairing Mayers with Holder gives the Patriots an all-round bowling combination that most CPL sides would envy. When the top-order batting is firing through Charles, Fletcher, and the middle-order, Mayers arriving at number five or six with the freedom to attack is a genuinely exciting proposition.
Alick Athanaze: The Emerging Star
If there’s one young batter in the Patriots squad with the most potential to make a name for himself in CPL 2026, it’s Alick Athanaze.
The left-handed Vincentian batter has been making waves in Caribbean domestic cricket — a naturally fluent stroke-maker who combines excellent technique with the ability to accelerate when conditions allow. The Patriots used a Right to Match option to keep him, which signals the franchise’s genuine belief in his long-term value.
Athanaze playing behind the all-time top-two CPL run-scorers in the batting order gives him the ideal position to come in with momentum already built, and to finish innings rather than build them from scratch. That’s often where young T20 batters develop most quickly.
Obed McCoy and the New Arrivals
Two new faces join the Patriots’ local squad for the first time in 2026 — Kevin Wickham and Obed McCoy — and both bring meaningful upside.
Obed McCoy is the more established of the two. The St Vincent left-arm pace bowler has represented West Indies in T20 internationals and shown in the CPL over previous seasons that he’s capable of genuine hostility with the new ball. His ability to swing the ball early and vary pace effectively makes him a useful complement to Holder’s seam bowling.
Kevin Wickham adds all-round flexibility — a player who gives the captain batting depth and a bowling option without requiring either to be used in isolation.
The Overseas Threat: Naseem Shah, Farooqi & Waqar Salamkheil
The Patriots’ overseas bowling attack is genuinely frightening when all three are operating at their best.
Naseem Shah brings express pace — the young Pakistani quick has established himself as one of the most exciting fast bowlers in world cricket over the past few years. His ability to hit the top of off stump with pace and late movement at Warner Park, where the pitch can offer early life, is a match-changing asset.
Fazalhaq Farooqi is the left-arm seam partner — an Afghan bowler who generates sharp inswing and can be devastating in powerplay conditions. Having two premium fast bowlers — one right, one left — at the top of an innings is what tournament-winning bowling attacks look like.
And then there’s Waqar Salamkheil, the Afghan left-arm wrist-spinner whose unusual action and fizzing deliveries make him one of the hardest spinners to read in franchise cricket globally. He gives the Patriots a mystery weapon in the middle overs that can break partnerships without warning.
Add Mohammad Nawaz — the versatile Pakistani left-arm spinning all-rounder — and the Patriots suddenly have more bowling variety than most franchises can dream of assembling.
Warner Park: A Ground That Suits This Squad
The Patriots’ home venue in Basseterre isn’t the largest ground in the Caribbean, and that compact nature means no shot is ever truly out of reach for the batters. For Charles and Fletcher — two players who find gaps and rotate strike as expertly as they hit boundaries — Warner Park’s dimensions are ideal.
For the bowlers, the pitch tends to have something for everyone. Early movement rewards Holder, Naseem Shah, and Farooqi. As it flattens out, Waqar Salamkheil and Nawaz can create genuine problems with spin. In short, it’s a ground where this specific squad is well-suited to do damage at home.
The Loss of Evin Lewis: Context and Calibration
It would be unfair to write about the Patriots’ 2026 squad without acknowledging what they’ve lost.
Evin Lewis spent over a decade with this franchise. He became one of the most feared T20 openers in Caribbean cricket at Patriots — a left-handed destroyer capable of rewriting the game in the first six overs when conditions suited him. His departure to the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons closes a significant chapter.
But the replacement isn’t a gamble. Johnson Charles, at this stage of his career, knows exactly what he’s doing with a bat. He’s experienced enough to absorb pressure, consistent enough to produce across a 10-match group stage, and skilled enough to walk into any T20 squad in the world at the top of the order. The Patriots didn’t just replace Lewis — they recruited someone who has scored more runs in this competition than any player who has ever played in it.
FAQs
Who is the captain of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in CPL 2026?
Jason Holder captains the Patriots. The Barbadian all-rounder has been in the role since 2025.
Who is the biggest new signing for the Patriots in CPL 2026?
Johnson Charles — the all-time leading run-scorer in the CPL — is the standout arrival, joining from the player draft.
How many CPL titles have the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots won?
One in 2021. That remains their only title in the tournament’s history.
Why did Evin Lewis leave the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots?
Lewis moved to the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons ahead of CPL 2026 after spending more than a decade with the Patriots franchise.
How many CPL runs has Johnson Charles scored?
Charles has scored 3,519 runs in 127 innings — the most by any player in CPL history.
Where do the Patriots play their home matches?
At Warner Park Sporting Complex in Basseterre, St Kitts, a compact, lively venue that suits aggressive batting and good pace bowling.
Who are the key overseas bowlers in the Patriots’ 2026 squad?
Naseem Shah (Pakistan), Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan), Waqar Salamkheil (Afghanistan), and Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan) form a varied and highly skilled overseas bowling group.
How Far Can the Patriots Go in 2026?
The squad is genuinely well-assembled — perhaps more so than at any point since their title-winning 2021 campaign.
The batting lineup, anchored by the top two run-scorers in CPL history at the top, is capable of posting and chasing any total on the tour. The bowling attack combines express pace, left-arm swing, mystery spin, and experienced all-round options in a way that offers the captain genuine variety at every stage of the innings.
What the Patriots need — the thing that separates good squads from championship-winning ones — is consistency of selection, settled roles, and the ability to grind through the middle stages of the tournament when results don’t always go your way.
If Jason Holder can bring that stability to the group, and if Charles and Fletcher fire at the top in the early games to build confidence, the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in CPL 2026 are a serious playoff contender.
