CPL names Hall of Fame player award after Sir Garry Sobers

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados. The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has named its Hall of Fame player award the Sir Garry Sobers Award, in honour of the West Indies all-rounder widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time.

The announcement follows the recent launch of the CPL Hall of Fame, which will recognise two inductees each year: one player and one off-field contributor.

Dwayne Bravo and Ian Bishop were named as the first inductees. The league said it had received the approval of the Sobers family to name the player award after Sir Garry.

First presentation in Barbados

The award will be presented for the first time at the CPL Hall of Fame Gala Dinner on September 15, 2026, at the Hilton Barbados.

The gala will support the Sir Clive Lloyd Healthcare Foundation's work to raise awareness of prostate cancer and promote testing and early detection across the Caribbean.

With the award bearing Sobers' name, the evening will bring together two of the most celebrated figures in West Indies cricket in support of the region.

"The greatest all-rounder"

Pete Russell, chief executive of the CPL, said: "Sir Garry Sobers was, without question, the greatest all-rounder the game has ever seen, and having his name on this award means a great deal to everyone at CPL."

"We are enormously grateful to the Sobers family for trusting us with his name and his legacy. It gives this trophy, and this Hall of Fame, a weight our players will carry with real pride," he said.

"To present it for the first time at a gala dinner in support of Sir Clive Lloyd's Healthcare Foundation makes 15 September an even more prestigious night for West Indies cricket," Russell added.

The league said the award is expected to add prestige and historical significance to the Hall of Fame.