Sri Lanka’s premier T20 franchise competition, the Lanka Premier League (LPL), is set to return with its sixth edition, which will be played from July 17 till August 8. The tournament is returning after 2024, where five teams representing Jaffna, Colombo, Kandy, Galle and Dambulla will fight for the title across four venues. With the tournament set to be played in the next few months, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed that the player draft date for the upcoming edition will be held on June 1.
421 players in LPL 2026 draft
The LPL Draft will commence from 1:30 pm onwards on June 1 in Colombo. As many as 421 players will enter the draft, which includes 179 from Sri Lanka and 242 overseas players. The draft will feature multiple categories, namely Platinum, Gold, Classic, Emerging and Associate Stars. While the Emerging category only encompasses local players, the 48 Associate Stars relate to the overseas players.
The event will be attended by all franchise owners in the presence of members of the Cricket Transformation Committee and SLC officials. Additionally, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumar Gamage, has also been extended an invitation as the chief guest for the LPL 2026 player draft.
LPL 2026 Player Draft Categories
| Category | Local Players | Overseas Players |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum | 17 players | 31 players |
| Gold | 34 players | 64 players |
| Classic | 80 players | 99 players |
| Emerging | 48 players | – |
| Associate Stars | – | 48 players |
Jaffna Kings to defend title in LPL 2026
The 2026 season, which features 5 teams, will see the Jaffna Kings defend their title after finishing as the winners in the 2024 edition, beating Galle Marvels. The tournament will run across 22 days, with the league stage held from July 17 to August 2, followed by the playoffs, which will run from August 5 to 8, with a reserve day kept for August 9.
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