Trinbago Knight Riders: CPL Franchise Profile and History

Trinbago Knight Riders are the Trinidad and Tobago franchise in the Caribbean Premier League and the most successful team in the competition’s history. They are owned by the Knight Riders Group, the company behind Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

Origins

The franchise was one of the founding teams of the CPL in 2013, when it played as Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel. Ahead of the 2015 season it was taken over by the Knight Riders Group and rebranded, adopting the Knight Riders colours and name.

Achievements

Under the Knight Riders banner the team quickly became the dominant force in the tournament. They won the CPL title in 2015, 2017 and 2018, and again in 2020, a season played in Trinidad during the pandemic when they went through the campaign unbeaten. A fifth title followed in 2023. As of the end of 2024 that makes five championships, more than any other team. Later seasons are not covered here.

Home ground

The side plays its home matches at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, near San Fernando, a ground opened in 2017 and named after Trinidad’s great batter. The team also used Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, one of the best-known grounds in the region, in earlier seasons.

Identity

The team’s purple and gold colours and its place in the wider Knight Riders family give it a recognisable profile worldwide. Over the years it has fielded some of the biggest names in Caribbean cricket and in the global T20 circuit, and squads change each season, so no current players are listed here.