Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed that the sixth Lanka Premier League will be built around a player draft on 22 March, abandoning the auction system used in the previous two editions. The tournament itself is pencilled in for 8 July to 8 August, a slot the board now treats as its regular LPL window.
The change of plan follows last year’s postponement. The competition had initially been earmarked for early December 2025, but ground preparations for the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup, to be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India, took priority. Moving the league back into mid-year, SLC hopes, should avoid any further clash.
It will be the first draft since 2022. An SLC statement underlined the practical detail: “During the draft, franchises will select both Sri Lankan and overseas players for the upcoming season of Sri Lanka’s premier domestic T20 tournament.” The board believes the format offers more balanced squad building than the fast-rising auction fees seen over the last two years.
Whether a sixth side will be added remains up in the air. The idea was floated before the postponement yet has not progressed. For now, the familiar five cities—Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Dambulla and Jaffna—stay on the slate.
Uncertainty around ownership adds another wrinkle. Earlier this year Jaffna Kings and Colombo Strikers lost their licences for “failure to uphold contractual obligations.” With both teams seeking fresh investors, none of the current franchises can trace continuous ownership further back than 2024.
SLC officials insist, quietly, that the new timetable offers enough breathing space to secure replacements and finalise logistics. Fans, players and broadcasters will hope that confidence proves justified once the draft rolls round in late March.
