Trinidad and Tobago Legions captain and West Indies wicket-keeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva is keen to leave an impression for the inaugural West Indies T20 Breakout League which will be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA), Tarouba from April 25-May 10.
Coached by Rayad Emrit, the TT team will begin their campaign against Barbados Pelicans from 7 pm at the BLCA on April 25 in the second game of a double-header. Guyana Rainforest Rangers will face the Windward Islands Infernos in the first match of the tournament from 2 pm.
The 26-year-old Da Silva, who has played 33 Test matches for the West Indies since debuting against New Zealand in 2020, is eager to show his capabilities in the shorter format of the game as well.
'I've played 22 (T20) games, and I just haven't gotten as much opportunity (in the format),' Da Silva said, via an April 19 Cricket West Indies (CWI) release.
'This tournament should get more opportunity for me and a lot of other players as well. I think it's a great initiative and hopefully, it's going to be the start of something that can happen every year. There's opportunity for boys to put their hands up.' Da Silva has been in good form as of late, as he scored 583 runs at an average of 64.77 in the 2025 West Indies Four-Day Championships as his Red Force team finished in third spot.
'You never know who's watching. So, each opportunity you get to walk out into the middle is something worth its weight in gold,' Da Silva said. 'Do the best that you can. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. And most importantly, have fun, because at the end of the day, it's a new tournament.'
The goal of the tourney is to unearth new white-ball talent across the region, with the six franchises drafting a total of 15 teenagers in their final squads.
Players eligible to participate must be under 30 at the start of the tourney and must have played fewer than 40 List A T20 matches and fewer than ten T20 internationals. Each team is closely affiliated with a Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise.
Da Silva aside, the TT Legions team is not short of talent or quality, with the Red Force top-order pair of Amir Jangoo and Jyd Goolie also in the mix. In the last five months, Jangoo has debuted for the Windies in both the Test and T20 formats.
The team also includes exciting allrounders Joshua James, Navin Bidaisee and off-spinner Mikkel Govia, who lifted the 2024 CPL crown with St Lucia Kings. Red Force opening batsmen Cephas Cooper and Kamil Pooran are also in the Legions team, alongside the overseas fast-bowling pair of Johann Layne (Barbados) and McKenny Clarke (St Lucia).
Da Silva said it's important for the TT franchise to defend the country's rich history in the T20 game.
'We pride ourselves on the legacy that we have in T20 cricket, that's for sure. For us, it's an honour to represent the country at any level.
'It's a tournament where I know a lot of eyes are going to be on us and performance is going to be key.
'We can use that to get bigger contracts, or you ca
