St Lucia Kings
The Caribbean Premier League has exciting teams, like the St Lucia Kings (SLK) team, which fans love to watch. They started as a weaker team but have become very strong by making smart changes and playing well. Their journey in the tournament shows that they keep trying hard even when things are difficult. In recent seasons, they have shown they can play well against tough teams. Their improvement makes the league more exciting for everyone.
History of Kings (SLK)
The Saint Lucia cricket team started in 2013 as the St Lucia Zouks for the first CPL season. In the beginning, they focused on building a team with local players. But because they did not win many matches, they made some changes.
In 2017, they changed their name to St Lucia Stars to attract more fans, but in 2019, they went back to being the Zouks. In 2021, the team was bought by the owners of Punjab Kings and became the Saint Lucia Kings. This helped improve the team’s management and player scouting.
They finished as runners-up in 2020 and 2021. In 2024, St Lucia Kings won their first CPL championship by beating the Guyana Amazon Warriors. Their coach, Daren Sammy, focuses on bold strategies. By 2026, the team wants to win again after doing well in 2025.
SLK Home Stadium
The Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium is where the St Lucia Kings play most of their home games. It is in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia, and can hold 15,000 people. It used to be called Beausejour Cricket Ground, but in 2016 it was renamed to honor Daren Sammy.
The pitch helps fast bowlers at the start of a game and spin bowlers later on. The stadium has lights so matches can be played at night since 2006. Local fans are very passionate, which makes games exciting. The stadium has also hosted World Cup matches and other international games. Playing at home gives the team an advantage because they know the conditions well. Upgrades over time have made the stadium better for modern cricket.
St Lucia Kings CPL Season Progress
The Saint Lucia Kings have played in every CPL season and have improved over time. In 2013, when they were called the Zouks, they finished last, winning only 2 out of 7 matches. Slowly, they got better and made the playoffs in 2016 after winning 6 games.
In 2017, as the Stars, they had a very bad season and did not win any of their 10 matches. But they bounced back in 2020 and finished as runners-up, even though they lost the final. As the Kings in 2021, they were runners-up again after finishing fourth in the league.
The finishing third in 2022 and 2023 and making it to the eliminator matches. They won their first CPL title with 7 victories in 2024. In 2025, they topped the league table but were knocked out in the qualifiers.
| Season | Team Name | Captain | Matches Played | Wins | Losses | No Result/Tie | Position | Final Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Zouks | Darren Sammy | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 6th | League Stage |
| 2014 | Zouks | Darren Sammy | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 5th | League Stage |
| 2015 | Zouks | Darren Sammy/Kevin Pietersen | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 5th | League Stage |
| 2016 | Zouks | Darren Sammy | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 3rd | Eliminator |
| 2017 | Stars | Shane Watson | 10 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 6th | League Stage |
| 2018 | Stars | Kieron Pollard | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 5th | League Stage |
| 2019 | Zouks | Darren Sammy | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 5th | League Stage |
| 2020 | Zouks | Darren Sammy | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2nd | Runners-up |
| 2021 | Kings | Faf du Plessis/Andre Fletcher | 12 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4th | Runners-up |
| 2022 | Kings | Faf du Plessis | 11 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 3rd | Eliminator |
| 2023 | Kings | Faf du Plessis | 11 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3rd | Eliminator |
| 2024 | Kings | Faf du Plessis | 12 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2nd | Champions |
| 2025 | Kings | David Wiese | 12 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1st | Qualifier 2 Loss |
St Lucia Kings Squad Lists for All Seasons
The Saint Lucia Kings team have changed over the years, which helped them do well in the CPL. While not all player lists are complete, we know some important details, like who was captain each year.
Daren Sammy was captain for most years from 2013 to 2020. Shane Watson led briefly in 2017, and Kieron Pollard in 2018. Andre Fletcher was captain in 2021, and Faf du Plessis led the team from 2021 to 2024.
In the early seasons, key players included Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, and Daren Sammy. Famous international players like Kane Williamson and David Miller also played sometimes.
St Lucia Kings CPL 2013 Squad (as Zouks)
| Player Name | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Darren Sammy (Captain) | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Tino Best | Bowler | West Indies |
| Andre Fletcher (wk) | Batsman/WK | West Indies |
| Johnson Charles | Wicketkeeper | West Indies |
| Kemar Roach | Bowler | West Indies |
| Shane Shillingford | Bowler | West Indies |
| Kyle Mayers | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Herschelle Gibbs | Batsman | South Africa |
| Misbah-ul-Haq | Batsman | Pakistan |
| George Worker | Batsman | New Zealand |
| Murali Kartik | Bowler | India |
| Liam Sebastien | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Kavem Hodge | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Garey Mathurin | Bowler | West Indies |
| Dalton Polius | Batsman | West Indies |
CPL 2014 Squad (as St Lucia Zouks)
| Player Name | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Darren Sammy (Captain) | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Johnson Charles (wk) | Wicketkeeper | West Indies |
| Kane Williamson | Batsman | New Zealand |
| Dwayne Smith | Batsman | West Indies |
| Sohail Tanvir | All-rounder | Pakistan |
| Shane Shillingford | Bowler | West Indies |
| Kyle Mayers | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Andre Fletcher | Batsman | West Indies |
| Garey Mathurin | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Liam Sebastien | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Kavem Hodge | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Henry Davids | Batsman | South Africa |
| Kenroy Peters | Bowler | West Indies |
| Royston Crandon | All-rounder | West Indies |
2015 CPL Squad (as St Lucia Zouks)
| Player Name | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Darren Sammy (Captain) | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Johnson Charles (wk) | Wicketkeeper | West Indies |
| Andre Fletcher | Batsman | West Indies |
| David Miller | Batsman | South Africa |
| Kyle Mayers | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Shane Shillingford | Bowler | West Indies |
| Delorn Johnson | Bowler | West Indies |
| Derone Davis | Bowler | West Indies |
| Keddy Lesporis | Batsman | West Indies |
| Sunil Narine | Bowler | West Indies |
| Grant Elliott | All-rounder | New Zealand |
| Shannon Gabriel | Bowler | West Indies |
| Murali Vijay | Batsman | India |
St Lucia Kings 2016 Squad (as Zouks)
| Player Name | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Darren Sammy (c) | All-rounder | Saint Lucia |
| Shane Watson | All-rounder | Australia |
| David Miller | Batsman | South Africa |
| Michael Hussey | Batsman | Australia |
| Johnson Charles (wk) | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Andre Fletcher (wk) | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Denesh Ramdin (wk) | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| Morne Morkel | Bowler | South Africa |
| Delorn Johnson | Bowler | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Derone Davis | Bowler | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Shane Shillingford | Bowler | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Grant Elliott | All-rounder | New Zealand |
| Nitish Kumar | Batsman | Canada |
| Keddy Lesporis | Batsman | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Kyle Mayers | All-rounder | Barbados (West Indies) |
| Keron Cottoy | All-rounder | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Gidron Pope | Batsman | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Kris Ramsaran | Bowler | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Eddie Leie | Bowler | South Africa |
CPL 2017 Squad (as St Lucia Stars)
| Player Name | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Darren Sammy (initial c) | All-rounder | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Shane Watson (later c) | All-rounder | Australia |
| David Miller | Batsman | South Africa |
| Lasith Malinga | Bowler | Sri Lanka |
| Kamran Akmal | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Pakistan |
| Marlon Samuels | Batsman | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Johnson Charles | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Jerome Taylor | Bowler | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Andre Fletcher | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Grenada (West Indies) |
| Sunil Ambris | Batsman | Saint Vincent (West Indies) |
| Rahkeem Cornwall | All-rounder | Antigua (West Indies) |
| Eddie Leie | Bowler | South Africa |
| Keddy Lesporis | Batsman | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Kyle Mayers | All-rounder | Barbados (West Indies) |
| Obed McCoy | Bowler | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Timil Patel | Bowler | United States |
| Shane Shillingford | Bowler | Dominica (West Indies) |
| Mitchell McClenaghan | Bowler | New Zealand |
CPL 2018 Squad (as St Lucia Stars)
| Player Name | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Darren Sammy (c) | All-rounder | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Kieron Pollard | All-rounder | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| Lendl Simmons | Batsman | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| Andre Fletcher | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Grenada (West Indies) |
| Niroshan Dickwella | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Sri Lanka |
| D’Arcy Short | Batsman | Australia |
| Mark Chapman | All-rounder | New Zealand |
| Rahkeem Cornwall | All-rounder | Antigua (West Indies) |
| Mitchell McClenaghan | Bowler | New Zealand |
| Kesrick Williams | Bowler | Saint Vincent (West Indies) |
| Rumman Raees | Bowler | Pakistan |
| Qais Ahmad | Bowler | Afghanistan |
| Kavem Hodge | All-rounder | Dominica (West Indies) |
| Chandrapaul Hemraj | Batsman | Guyana (West Indies) |
| Dasun Shanaka | All-rounder | Sri Lanka |
| Obed McCoy | Bowler | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Christopher Lamont | Bowler | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Jaskaran Malhotra | Wicketkeeper-batsman | United States |
| Mohammad Sami | Bowler | Pakistan (late addition) |
2019 CPL Squad (as St Lucia Zouks)
| Player Name | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Darren Sammy (c) | All-rounder | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Andre Fletcher | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Grenada (West Indies) |
| John Campbell | Batsman | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Kesrick Williams | Bowler | Saint Vincent (West Indies) |
| Obed McCoy | Bowler | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Fawad Ahmed | Bowler | Australia |
| Chris Barnwell | All-rounder | Guyana (West Indies) |
| Kavem Hodge | All-rounder | Dominica (West Indies) |
| Jeavor Royal | Bowler | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Rahkeem Cornwall | All-rounder | Antigua (West Indies) |
| Mark Deyal | All-rounder | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| Javelle Glenn | Batsman | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Hardus Viljoen | Bowler | South Africa |
| Cameron Delport | All-rounder | South Africa |
| Colin de Grandhomme | All-rounder | New Zealand |
| Krishmar Santokie | Bowler | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Ryan John | All-rounder | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Daniel Sams | All-rounder | Australia |
CPL 2020 Squad (as St Lucia Zouks)
| Player Name | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Daren Sammy (c) | All-rounder | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Andre Fletcher | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Grenada (West Indies) |
| Roston Chase | All-rounder | Barbados (West Indies) |
| Rahkeem Cornwall | All-rounder | Antigua (West Indies) |
| Mark Deyal | All-rounder | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| Kavem Hodge | All-rounder | Dominica (West Indies) |
| Javelle Glen | Batsman | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Leniko Boucher | Batsman | Barbados (West Indies) |
| Kimani Melius | Batsman | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Colin Ingram | Batsman | South Africa |
| Rilee Rossouw | Batsman | South Africa |
| Najibullah Zadran | Batsman | Afghanistan |
| Mohammad Nabi | All-rounder | Afghanistan |
| Kesrick Williams | Bowler | Saint Vincent (West Indies) |
| Obed McCoy | Bowler | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Chemar Holder | Bowler | Barbados (West Indies) |
| Anrich Nortje | Bowler | South Africa |
| Noor Ahmad | Bowler | Afghanistan |
| Saad Bin Zafar | All-rounder | Canada |
CPL 2021 Squad (as St Lucia Kings)
| Player Name | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Andre Fletcher (c) | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Grenada (West Indies) |
| Faf du Plessis | Batsman | South Africa |
| Roston Chase | All-rounder | Barbados (West Indies) |
| Rahkeem Cornwall | All-rounder | Antigua (West Indies) |
| Mark Deyal | All-rounder | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| Javelle Glen | Batsman | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Keron Cottoy | All-rounder | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Jeavor Royal | Bowler | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Kadeem Alleyne | All-rounder | Barbados (West Indies) |
| Alzarri Joseph | Bowler | Antigua (West Indies) |
| Kesrick Williams | Bowler | Saint Vincent (West Indies) |
| Obed McCoy | Bowler | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Keemo Paul | All-rounder | Guyana (West Indies) |
| Wahab Riaz | Bowler | Pakistan |
| Usman Qadir | Bowler | Pakistan |
| Samit Patel | All-rounder | England |
| Tim David | Batsman | Australia |
2022 CPL Squad (as Kings)
| Player Name | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Faf du Plessis (c) | Batsman | South Africa |
| Johnson Charles | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Andre Fletcher | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Grenada (West Indies) |
| Roston Chase | All-rounder | Barbados (West Indies) |
| Tim David | Batsman | Australia |
| David Wiese | All-rounder | South Africa |
| Mark Deyal | All-rounder | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| Ackeem Auguste | Batsman | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Leroy Lugg | Batsman | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Javelle Glen | Batsman | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Alzarri Joseph | Bowler | Antigua (West Indies) |
| Jeavor Royal | Bowler | Jamaica (West Indies) |
| Kesrick Williams | Bowler | Saint Vincent (West Indies) |
| Scott Kuggeleijn | Bowler | New Zealand |
| Khary Pierre | Bowler | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| Rivaldo Clarke | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Barbados (West Indies) |
2023 CPL Squad (as Kings)
| Player Name | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson Charles (c) | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Faf du Plessis | Batsman | South Africa |
| Leonardo Julien | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| Sean Williams | Batsman | Zimbabwe |
| Colin Munro | Batsman | New Zealand |
| Roston Chase | All-rounder | Barbados (West Indies) |
| Sikandar Raza (c in some) | All-rounder | Zimbabwe |
| Roshon Primus | All-rounder | Barbados (West Indies) |
| Shadrack Descarte | All-rounder | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Khary Pierre | Bowler | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| Alzarri Joseph | Bowler | Antigua (West Indies) |
| Matthew Forde | Bowler | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| Mikkel Govia | Bowler | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| Noor Ahmad | Bowler | Afghanistan |
| Chris Sole | Bowler | Scotland |
| Jeavor Royal | Bowler | Jamaica (West Indies) |
2024 CPL Squad (as Kings)
| Player Name | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Faf du Plessis (c) | Batsman | South Africa |
| Johnson Charles | Wicketkeeper-batsman | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Tim Seifert | Wicketkeeper-batsman | New Zealand |
| Aaron Jones | Batsman / All-rounder | United States |
| Ackeem Auguste | Batsman | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Bhanuka Rajapaksa | Batsman | Sri Lanka |
| Johann Jeremiah | All-rounder | Grenada (West Indies) |
| Roston Chase | All-rounder | Barbados (West Indies) |
| David Wiese | All-rounder | South Africa / Namibia |
| Shadrack Descarte | All-rounder | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Matthew Forde | All-rounder | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| Khary Pierre | Bowler | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| Alzarri Joseph | Bowler | Antigua (West Indies) |
| Noor Ahmad | Bowler | Afghanistan |
| Khari Campbell | All-rounder | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
| Mikkel Govia | Bowler | Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) |
| McKenny Clarke | Bowler | Saint Lucia (West Indies) |
CPL 2025 Squad (as Kings)
| Player Name | Role | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| David Wiese (Captain) | All-rounder | South Africa |
| Tim David | Batsman | Australia |
| Tim Seifert (wk) | Wicketkeeper | New Zealand |
| Tabraiz Shamsi | Bowler | South Africa |
| Roston Chase | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Aaron Jones | Batsman | USA |
| Ackeem Auguste | Batsman | West Indies |
| Alzarri Joseph | Bowler | West Indies |
| Oshane Thomas | Bowler | West Indies |
| Delano Potgieter | All-rounder | South Africa |
| Matthew Forde | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Khary Pierre | Bowler | West Indies |
| Javelle Glen | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Micah McKenzie | Bowler | West Indies |
| Shadrack Descarte | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Johann Jeremiah | Batsman | West Indies |
| Keon Gaston | Batsman | West Indies |
| Johnson Charles (wk) | Wicketkeeper | West Indies |
St Lucia Kings (SLK) Squad for CPL 2026
The Saint Lucia Kings have built a flexible and strong team for CPL 2026. The squad includes talented local all-rounders who can help with both batting and bowling. They also have skilled overseas players who bring extra experience and ability.
| Player | Category |
|---|---|
| Roston Chase | Local |
| Matthew Forde | Local |
| Tim Seifert | Overseas |
| Charith Asalanka | Overseas |
| Maheesh Theekshana | Overseas |
| Noor Ahmad | Overseas |
| Ackeem Auguste | Local |
| Jewel Andrew | Local |
| Joshua Bishop | Local |
| Kamil Pooran | Local |
| Keon Gaston | Local |
| McKenny Clarke | Local |
| Amari Goodridge | Local |
| Damion Joachim | Local |
| Darron Nedd | Local |
| Johann Jeremiah | Local |
| Shadley van Schalkwyk | Local |
Comparing Strengths with Other CPL Teams
Since 2021, the Saint Lucia Kings (SLK) have done very well in the CPL compared to other teams. The Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) have won five titles, including 2025, thanks to all-rounders like Andre Russell. But the St Lucia Kings opening batsmen, like Johnson Charles and Seifert, can compete with them.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors, who won in 2023, are very consistent but don’t start as strongly as the Kings. The Barbados Royals have won twice and focus on fast bowling, but Kings’ spinners like Shamsi often trouble them.
The St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, who won in 2021, are rebuilding and don’t have as many good players as the Kings. The Antigua & Barbuda Falcons are a new team and show promise but don’t have as much playoff experience.
SLK strengths:
- Batting Aggression: Their top batsmen hit hard, stronger than the Royals’ careful approach.
- Bowling Variety: Bowlers like Joseph and Wiese give them more options than the Patriots’ fast-bowling style.
- Captaincy: Under Faf du Plessis, they have strong leadership in finals, better than the Falcons.
- Home Support: Fans at Darren Sammy Stadium cheer loudly, similar to the Warriors’ fans at Providence.
