Caribbean Premier League Team-By-Team Guide: Guyana solid but Patriots eyecatching

• Kings aim to be only second team to go back-to-back

• No title for Trinbago for four years

• Finals will be played in Guyana

• Squads, possible XIs and two-year player win rates

• Get Ed's Caribbean Premier League 2025 predictions

Trinbago Knight Riders

Last 2 years: 4/RU
Batting rank: 5
Bowling rank: 3
Top bat win rate: Pooran 38%
Top bowler win rate: Narine 23%

Squad: Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Alex Hales, Akeal Hosein, Mohammad Amir, Colin Munro, Usman Tariq, Ali Khan, Darren Bravo, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Terrance Hinds, McKenny Clarke, Joshua Da Silva, Nathan Edward

Possible XI: Hales, Carty, Pooran, Munro, Pollard, Russell, Narine, Akeal, Cariah, Ali Khan, Amir

Analysis: Trinbago, one of the great T20 franchises and the only back-to-back winner, are not the force of old. And old is probably the word. This lot are getting on a bit but year after year significant change seems to be ignored. It's no title for four years and they are likely to be heavily overrated on the markets.

They are reliant on Nic Pooran, who may win them a couple of games at least on his own. Alex Hales' returns are dwindling with every contract. It would not be a huge surprise if they missed out on the top four.

Guyana Amazon Warriors

Last 2 years: RU/W
Batting rank: 1
Bowling rank: 4
Top bat win rate: Hope 30%, Hetmyer 20%
Top bowler win rate: Tahir 25%

Squad: Imran Tahir, Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Shai Hope, Glenn Phillips, Gudakesh Motie, Moeen Ali, Shamar Joseph, Keemo Paul, Dwaine Pretorius, Shamarh Brooks, Kemol Savory, Hassan Khan, Jediah Blades, Kevlon Anderson, Quentin Sampson, Riyad Latif.

Possible XI: Hope, Moeen, Brooks, Hetmyer, Phillips, Shepherd, Motie, Paul, Pretorius, Shamar, Blades

Analysis: Guyana look to be the best balanced side in the competition, particularly after Glenn Phillips, the best pound-for-pound player in the world, signed up. They have the major advantage of the play-offs being staged on their home ground. So they have picked a squad to suit conditions.

Left-arm quick Jedia Blades could go well but in reality it will be about the unrivalled nous of the established Warriors to get them over the line. A top-two finish is expected.

Barbados Royals

Last 2 years: 3/5
Batting rank: 6
Bowling rank: 5
Top bat win rate: De Kock 41%
Top bowler win rate: na

Squad: Rovman Powell, Brandon King (traded), Sherfane Rutherford (traded), Quinton de Kock, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Azmatullah Omarzai, Jomel Warrican, Kadeem Alleyne, Shagkere Parris, Kofi James, Nyeem Young, Rivaldo Clarke, Zishan Motara, Johann Layne, Ramon Simmonds.

Possible XI: King, De Kock, S Parris, Rutherford, Powell, Omarzai, Young, Alleyne, Warrican, Mujeeb, Simmonds

Analysis: The Royals' numbers' aren't great. But they do boast a third-placed finish and, historically, that's where the majority of winners have come from for one season to the next. Quinton de Kock needs to have another big campaign while all-rounder Nyeem Young could be one to watch for big-priced top-bat wins. Losing Jason Holder seems careless and they could struggle to keep things tight in the field. 

St Lucia Kings

Last 2 years: W/4
Batting rank: 2
Bowling rank: 1
Top bat win rate: Charles 32%
Top bowler win rate: Joseph 23%

Squad: Tim David, Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Tim Seifert, Roston Chase, Tabraiz Shamsi, David Wiese, Delano Potgieter, Matthew Forde, Aaron Jones, Khary Pierre, Javelle Glen, Micah McKenzie, Shadrack Descarte, Johann Jeremiah, Keon Gaston, Ackeem Auguste

Possible XI: Charles, Seifert, Chase, Jones/Potgieter, David, Wiese, Descarte, Pierre, Glenn, Joseph, Gaston

Analysis: The Kings are the holders. Are they good enough to win a back-to-back title? No. The absence of Noor Ahmad, who chose The Hundred and then has Afghanistan duty, robs them of the highest tournament wicket-taker from last season. Faf Du Plessis, their second-best bat, is also not involved. Those are two massve holes to fill. The bowler and middle-order looks unconvincing. 

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

Last 2 years: 6/6
Batting rank: 4
Bowling rank: 6
Top bat win rate: Fletcher 33%
Top bowler win rate: Salmakheil 37% (Nedd 4 from 8)

Squad: Kyle Mayers, Jason Holder (traded), Rilee Rossouw, Evin Lewis, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Corbin Bosch, Waqar Salamkheil, Andre Fletcher, Alick Athanaze (traded), Mohammad Nawaz, Dominic Drakes, Mikyle Louis, Ashmead Nedd, Jeremiah Louis, Jyd Goolie, Navin Bidaisee, Leniko Boucher, Naseem Shah

Possible XI: Lewis, Fletcher, Athanaze, Mayers, Louis, Bosch, Holder, Nawaz, Salmkheil, Nedd, Farooqi/Naseem

Analysis: The Patriots have recruited well, recognising that they need to do more to stem the flow of runs on a probably flat Warner Park. Jason Holder, Waqar Salmkheil and Faz Farooqi are very smart pick-ups. Salmkheil dominated for TKR and Holder did the same for Royals. The runs should take care of themselves and this lot could spring a surprise. A play-off finish is predicted.

Antigua & Barbuda Falcons

Last year: 5
Batting rank: 6
Bowling ranK: 2
Top bat win rate: Greaves 4/7
Top bowler win rate:Imad 3/10

Squad: Imad Wasim, Shakib Al Hasan, Fabian Allen, Naveen-ul-Haq, Obed McCoy, Justin Greaves, Bevon Jacobs, Jayden Seales, AM Ghazanfar, Rahkeem Cornwall (traded), Odean Smith, Jewel Andrew, Shamar Springer, Amir Jangoo, Karima Gore, Kevin Wickham, Joshua James

Possible XI: Greaves, Cornwall, Andrew, Shakib, Jacobs, Allen, Imad, O Smith, Jangoo, McCoy, Naveen

Analysis: It is hard to get excited, for good or bad, about Antigua. You can't love them, you can't hate them. They have a quartet of players in Justin Graves, Imad Wasim (having tuned up nicely in The Hundred), Bevon Jacobs and Naveen-ul-Haq who should go well. But then there's the signing of Shakib-al-Hasan. They might be able to improve on fifth spot but much depends on a quick start.

Ed Hawkins' Caribbean Premier League top six prediction

Guyana Amazon Warriors
St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
Trinbago Knight Riders
Barbados Royals
Antigua & Barbuda Falcons
St Lucia Kings

Get tips for every The Hundred game right here