Falcons’ triumph “special”, “amazing” – Moeen and Shadab

In just their third year as a franchise, the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons have conquered the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL), pulling off an eight-wicket victory at the Kensington Oval on Sunday night to lift the 2026 title.
In spite of another Maaz Sadaqat century for the Jamaica Kingsmen, there was never any doubt about the Falcons’ ability, as they made every aspect of the game seem effortless on their way to victory.
As the team prepared to receive the coveted CPL trophy for the first time and kick off their celebrations, Captain Moeen Ali described their triumph as special.
Ali shared in a post-match chat, “Very special, I think more for the franchise, the players and the coaching staff and everybody that was involved. It’s been a tough journey, but a great journey, the time’s gone quick for us, because we’ve enjoyed each other’s company.”

“And you can see, on the field, the way we played. I thought tonight was an outstanding performance again. But yeah, really, really pleased with the way we performed throughout the competition and it was a decent final in the end. I mean, the dew made a big difference, but it was a great toss to win,” the Captain added.
Quizzed by Darren Ganga about when he knew they had a shot at the CPL title, Ali recollected, “Honestly, that game I played in St Lucia, we were only defending 57 off 10 overs and we almost won that game and from there, I saw fight and I saw great determination from the guys and I thought there’s at least something great to work with and it was just getting the guys right. Having two wrist spinners, two pace guys up top, two death bowlers, it’s not always easy to combine. But I think, you know, the biggest difference was the players that came in and out for a couple of injuries in between, Karima Gore and Fabien Allen, it wasn’t easy but they made a huge difference. Quality players that always give everything.”
The Falcons skipper later talked about opting to go with pace over spin, in a tactical move on Sunday night.
“The way Maaz was playing, I didn’t want to open with an off-spinner because he does play off-spin quite well and he takes it on. I wanted someone with pace to bowl at him. Two guys with good pace and we just felt like the wicket may have a bit of bounce which it did,” the skipper admitted.
Meanwhile, Player of the Tournament Shadab Khan talked about his performance throughout the season and the franchise’s first chip.
Shadab told Guyana Times Sport exclusively, “Alhamdulillah, very happy. I came a little bit late, but obviously when I came, I got an opportunity to perform on a first game and after that, my confidence was getting better and better. So, I’m very happy and most importantly, the team won, so it’s always win-win situation.”
“It’s amazing. Because we saw the emotion when we were there as well, when we played the home game. We saw the emotions from the crowd, from the fans and this is the first title for them and hopefully, many more to come.”