'I was mentally free' - Player of the Tournament Shadab Khan on the Falcons' CPL triumph

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons claimed the CPL 2026 title on September 20, 2026, beating Jamaica Kingsmen by eight wickets in the final at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown. It was the franchise's first championship in only their third season in the competition.

Shadab Khan was named Player of the Tournament after an all-round campaign that shaped the Falcons' run to the title. He finished with 11 wickets from seven innings at an economy rate of 4.89 and contributed 132 runs from six outings at a strike rate of 227.58.

The Falcons completed the chase with comfort, reaching 173 for 2 in 16.4 overs against a target of 171. Amir Jangoo anchored the innings with 57 not out from 34 balls, while Hasan Nawaz remained unbeaten on 47 from 35 balls to wrap up the win with 20 balls remaining.

How did Shadab Khan's tournament unfold?

Shadab's economy of 4.89 placed him among the most disciplined bowlers in CPL 2026, and his strike rate of 227.58 with the bat gave the Falcons a reliable finisher in the lower order. His most decisive bowling performance came in Qualifier 1, where he returned figures of 4 for 16 and collected the Player of the Match award. That spell included a hat-trick, with Shimron Hetmyer, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Quentin Sampson dismissed in successive deliveries.

"When you're playing as the allrounder, you try to give it everything on the field, either as a bowler or as a batter. Wherever I bowl, you need to take wickets. So I think the bowling [went well], because I was struggling for the last couple of years, so I needed that type of performance. And hopefully from here I get a proper rhythm and confidence," Shadab said, as quoted by Cricinfo.

The remarks underlined how much the tournament meant to him personally after a difficult period in his career. His ability to contribute across both disciplines throughout the competition made him the clear choice for the overall award. He also stated the freedom in his game which came from the prominent batting role given to him.

"I think I was mentally free because of the [batting] role given me. I have to fulfil that role because most of the time I have to play the death overs. I made up my mind that way as well. And when you are mentally free, you will get failure as well, you accept the failure; but when you're free, that type of mindset, most of the time you succeed," he added.

What role did Sufyan Moqim play in the knockout stage?

Pakistan spinner Sufyan Moqim was the most penetrating bowler across the final two matches of the tournament. He took a wicket haul of four in Qualifier 1 and then repeated the feat in the final, where his figures of 4 for 13 earned him the Player of the Match award. His performance in the decider was marginally more economical than Shadab's 4 for 16 in Qualifier 1, though Shadab's earlier haul had included the hat-trick that secured him that match award.

Moqim's back-to-back four-wicket returns were central to restricting Jamaica Kingsmen and setting up the Falcons' comfortable chase in the final. His efforts in the knockout rounds complemented Shadab's broader tournament contribution and gave the Falcons a two-pronged spin threat at the business end of the competition.

Pakistan's next T20I assignment after the ongoing Asian Games in Japan is a series in Sri Lanka in October, which means both Shadab and Moqim could carry their CPL form directly into international cricket in the weeks ahead.