Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed that the sixth Lanka Premier League will run from 8 July to 8 August, with squads to be formed through a player draft on 22 March rather than the auction used in the past two seasons.
The change in approach follows last year’s postponement, originally prompted by venue work for the 2026 T20 World Cup that Sri Lanka will co-host with India. A July window is SLC’s preferred slot, sitting clear of major international commitments while avoiding the year-end monsoon.
It will be the first draft since 2022. As the board explained in a brief statement, “During the draft, franchises will select both Sri Lankan and overseas players for the upcoming season of Sri Lanka’s premier domestic T20 tournament.”
An expansion to six teams had been floated before the delay, yet nothing concrete has emerged. For now the league remains a five-team affair—Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Dambulla and Jaffna—though the make-up of two of those sides is still uncertain. Earlier this year SLC cancelled the licences of Jaffna Kings and Colombo Strikers for “failure to uphold contractual obligations”, leaving both without owners with roots deeper than the 2024 campaign. Replacement investors are being courted but have not been named.
Administrators argue that reverting to a draft should simplify roster building and control costs. Franchises will have clear salary bands, reducing the bidding wars that dominated the last two auctions. Supporters, meanwhile, know the real proof will come once the tournament starts: can the LPL hold its place in a crowded T20 calendar and keep its best local talent at home?
