Lanka Premier League 2026: Schedule, Teams, Venues & Live Score

Cricket is returning to the island nation in style. After the 2025 tournament was shelved to free up venue preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup, the sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL 2026) is back. Running from July 17 to August 8, 2026, the league promises high-intensity action under newly modified rules. In a first for the tournament, teams will use an “impact sub” rule. Crucially, franchises must also field an under-23 local player in their starting XI at all times, keeping player development at the heart of the show.

LPL 2026 Squads & Schedule

The tournament kicks off on July 17 at the Sinhalese Sports Club with a massive clash between the Jaffna Kings and Galle Gallants. Twenty league games will establish the seeding, paving the way for the playoffs starting August 5. Five franchises will battle for domestic glory. Every team has restructured its squad with fresh drafts and direct signings, building dynamic depth to challenge defending champions Jaffna Kings.

Lanka Premier League

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LPL 2026 Points Table

No	Teams	P	W	L	PTS	NRR
1	Galle Gallants	6	4	2	8	+0.848
2	Colombo Kaps	5	3	2	6	+0.371
3	Jaffna Kings	5	3	2	6	+0.133
4	Dambulla Sixers	6	2	4	4	-0.556
5	Kandy Royals	6	2	4	4	-0.717

P : Played · W : Win · L : Loss · T : Tie · NR : No Results · NRR : Net Run Rate · PTS : Points

LPL 2026 Player Stats

LPL 2026 Leaders

No	Player	Runs	Balls	SR	Vs	4s	6s
1	Lahiru Udara	222	158	140.51	Kandy Royals	28	7
2	Reeza Hendricks	209	145	144.14	Dambulla Sixers	23	5
3	Sam Harper	203	132	153.79	Galle Gallants	22	9
4	Kamindu Mendis	183	113	161.95	Colombo Kaps	15	8
5	Chamika Karunaratne	178	110	161.82	Galle Gallants	13	10
6	Sahan Arachchige	170	106	160.38	Galle Gallants	16	6
7	Kamil Mishara	169	117	144.44	Jaffna Kings	24	4
8	Charith Asalanka	169	124	136.29	Galle Gallants	13	9
9	Angelo Mathews	156	132	118.18	Kandy Royals	14	3
10	Avishka Fernando	155	99	156.57	Jaffna Kings	18	7

Showing top 10 by runs.

No	Player	Wkts	Mts	Econ	SR	Team
1	Nuwan Thushara	11	6	8.29	13.09	Kandy Royals
2	Akif Javed	10	6	8.14	12.60	Galle Gallants
3	Eshan Malinga	10	5	8.88	10.00	Galle Gallants
4	Dushmantha Chameera	10	6	9.88	14.40	Dambulla Sixers
5	Lizaad Williams	10	4	10.38	6.30	Jaffna Kings
6	Dunith Wellalage	7	5	7.71	12.00	Jaffna Kings
7	Mujeeb Ur Rahman	7	5	8.25	17.14	Colombo Kaps
8	Dushan Hemantha	7	6	8.67	10.29	Kandy Royals
9	Shaheen Afridi	7	4	8.93	12.86	Kandy Royals
10	Fazalhaq Farooqi	6	3	8.33	12.00	Dambulla Sixers

Showing top 10 by wickets.

Lanka Premier League Format

The competition employs a standard domestic T20 layout. Five teams participate in a double round-robin league stage, yielding a total of 20 preliminary matches. The top four franchises on the points table secure progress.

From there, the tournament follows the playoff system:

Qualifier 1: The top two teams play. The winner lands a spot directly in the final.
Eliminator: Third and fourth places play in a do-or-die scenario.
Qualifier 2: The loser of Qualifier 1 gets a second shot at redemption by playing the winner of the Eliminator.
The Final: The summit clash is scheduled for August 8, with August 9 held in reserve in case of bad weather.

LPL 2026 Venues

Sri Lanka Cricket has spread the tournament across three major cities, letting fans around the island experience the action firsthand. The caravan shifts through these iconic locations:

Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Cricket Ground, Colombo: Hosting the opening leg of five matches.
Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla: Serving as the mid-tournament hub for nine high-energy league matches.
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy: Staging the final six matches of the group phase.
R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo: Reclaiming its crown to host all four playoff matches and the final.

LPL 2026 Live streaming and broadcast details

Broadcast arrangements ensure global accessibility for fans watching from home.

In Sri Lanka: Local viewers can catch matches live on Supreme TV (free-to-air) along with digital streaming via the Suryah TV app or official SLC YouTube channels.
In India & the Subcontinent: Broadcast rights belong to Star Sports Network, while live streaming is available on the FanCode app and website.
In the UK: Sky Sports Cricket will broadcast the matches live.
In the US & Canada: Live coverage is handled by Willow TV.

Lanka Premier League FAQs

Who are the defending champions of the Lanka Premier League?

Jaffna Kings are the defending champions, having won the previous completed tournament in 2024.

What is the new player rule in LPL 2026?

This year, teams must include at least one under-23 Sri Lankan player in their playing XI at all times, even after tactical substitutions.

Are there reserve days for the final?

Yes. August 9 has been designated as a reserve day in case the final on August 8 is affected by rain.

Why was the 2025 Lanka Premier League season postponed?

Sri Lanka Cricket chose to prioritise stadium preparations and upgrades ahead of co-hosting the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, pushing the sixth edition of the franchise tournament directly to July 2026.

Which Indian cricketer is making a debut in LPL 2026?

All-rounder Vijay Shankar is set to make his first-ever appearance in the tournament, representing the Kandy Royals franchise.

Can squads retain players from previous seasons under the 2026 draft rules?

No. To level the playing field, the 2026 draft rules did not allow any franchise to retain players from previous seasons. Every team had to build their squad entirely from scratch via direct signings and the official draft.

How many international players can participate in each franchise’s squad?

Each franchise can register a maximum of 20 players, which can include up to 7 overseas players. Crucially, at least one of these overseas players must hail from an Associate cricket nation.

Where can fans buy tickets to watch LPL 2026 games live?

Match day tickets are sold directly through the official Sri Lanka Cricket ticket portals and on-site counters at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Pallekele Stadium, Rangiri Dambulla, and R. Premadasa Stadium closer to match dates.