Indunil Kahatapitiya –
Ahead of the player draft for the 2026 edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), the five participating franchises have officially confirmed their direct signings of leading local and foreign players.
The player draft system will return this season, replacing the player auction format used previously. The draft process will officially begin on June 1, with all teams required to build fresh squads as no player retentions from last season will be allowed.
Before the draft, franchises were permitted to directly sign four players under the categories of “Local Icon,” “Local Star,” “Foreign Icon,” and “Foreign Star.”
The confirmed direct signings are as follows:
Direct Signings by Teams
Dambulla Sixers
Dinesh Chandimal, Dushmantha Chameera, Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan), Reeza Hendricks (South Africa)
Kandy Royals:
Wanindu Hasaranga, Angelo Mathews, Moeen Ali (England)
Galle Marvels:
Dasun Shanaka, Eshan Malinga
Jaffna Kings:
Dunith Wellalage, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
Colombo Strikers:
Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis
All remaining players will be selected through the official draft process.
New Regulations and Tournament Structure
The sixth edition of the LPL, organised by Sri Lanka Cricket, will be held from July 17 to August 8.
Several new regulations have also been introduced for the tournament:
* Each squad must contain a minimum of 18 players and a maximum of 20 players.
* Teams can include a maximum of seven foreign players in their squads.
* It is mandatory for teams to include Under-23 emerging local players, with at least one U-23 player required in the playing XI.
* Only four foreign players can be included in the playing XI for a match.
Tournament Schedule and Venues
A total of 24 matches will be played across four venues in different phases.
July 17–19: Matches at the SSC Grounds, Colombo. The opening match on July 17 at 7:30 PM will feature the defending champions against runners-up Galle.
July 21–26: Matches at Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium.
July 28 – August 2: Matches at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy.
August 5 and 7: Qualifiers and Eliminator matches at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo.
August 8: The grand final will be played at R. Premadasa Stadium, while August 9 has been reserved as the backup day.
Sri Lanka Cricket has also adjusted the tournament window following the postponement of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, originally scheduled to be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India earlier this year.
Meanwhile, former West Indies superstar Chris Gayle is expected to serve as the brand ambassador for the tournament.
