KINGSTOWN, St Vincent and the Grenadines — Canada’s professional T20 franchise tournament, NCL GT20 Canada, will stage its 2026 edition in St Vincent and the Grenadines as part of an effort to strengthen cricketing ties between Canada and the West Indies.

The tournament will be held in the Caribbean during the October-November window before returning to Canada for its 2027 edition.

Organisers say the Caribbean staging is specific to the 2026 tournament and does not represent a permanent relocation of NCL GT20 Canada.

Instead, the tournament is being positioned as a bridge between Canadian and West Indies cricket, bringing together Canadian, Caribbean and international players while creating opportunities for collaboration between administrators, fans and commercial partners.

Cricket Canada and Cricket West Indies (CWI) will work within a collaborative governance and regulatory framework for the 2026 tournament. CWI will also hold a direct franchise investment and play a role in governance, compliance and regulatory coordination.

Arvinder Khosa, President of Cricket Canada, said the Caribbean edition was intended to establish relationships that could continue after the tournament returns to Canada.

“NCL GT20 is fundamentally a Canadian tournament, and the Caribbean provides a special home for our 2026 edition,” Khosa said.

“This is about much more than taking a tournament to another country for one season. It is about building a bridge between Canadian and West Indies cricket, connecting players, administrators, fans and commercial partners.”

Khosa said the tournament could help create continued player exchanges, development programmes, commercial partnerships and fan engagement between the Caribbean and Canada.

Cricket West Indies CEO Chris Dehring said the tournament creates an opportunity to support the development of Canadian cricket while showcasing the Caribbean as a major cricket destination.

“Hosting the 2026 tournament in the Caribbean before its return to Canada next year marks the beginning of a partnership that can facilitate the continued development of Canadian cricket while showcasing our region as one of the great cricketing regions of world cricket,” Dehring said.

He added that CWI sees value in building relationships with ICC Associate Members across the region.

The tournament is expected to feature international players, established Caribbean cricketers, Canadian players and emerging North American talent.

St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Minister of Youth, Sports, Culture and Creative Industries, Kaschaka Cupid, welcomed the decision to stage the tournament in the country.

“We welcome the opportunity to host the NCL GT20 League in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” Cupid said.

“Bringing world-class sporting events to our shores is a major part of my mandate, and I am delighted that we can respond favourably to the request to host this historic event in the Caribbean.”

Organisers also expect the tournament to support fan engagement, international visibility and economic activity while showcasing St Vincent and the Grenadines and the wider Caribbean as a destination for major sporting events.

Further details, including the tournament schedule and participating teams, are expected to be announced later.