Lanka Premier League returns after two years, opener set for July 17

Sri Lanka's T20 franchise competition returns for the first time since its 2024 edition, with the player draft scheduled for June 1

The Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 will officially commence on July 17 with a rematch of the 2024 final, which was the last time the LPL was held, featuring reigning champions Jaffna and 2024 runners-up Galle.

The tournament opener is set to take place under the SSC lights in Colombo - a venue that hosted its inaugural T20I during this year's T20 World Cup. The game is scheduled to begin at 7.30pm, though the venue will also host an official opening ceremony to launch the 2026 season ahead of the fixture.

The finalised tournament timeline will see the competition run from July 17 through August 8. Previously, SLC had announced the tournament will start on July 10, its matches played across four international venues.

The SSC will host five matches in total from July 17-19, before the action moves to Dambulla, then Kandy, and finally back to Colombo - this time at the R. Premadasa Stadium - for the knockout stages and final. There will also be a reserve day for the final, on August 9.

The 2026 edition will feature five teams representing Jaffna, Colombo, Kandy, Galle, and Dambulla. While the official franchise names and corporate ownership structures remain unannounced, SLC is expected to release the finalised team identities and brand details in the lead-up to the tournament.Tournament datesJuly 17-19: Opening match and Colombo Leg (SSC Grounds, Colombo)July 21-26: Dambulla Leg (RDICS)July 28-August 2: Kandy Leg (PICS, Pallekele)August 5 and 7: Qualifiers and Eliminator (RPICS, Colombo)August 8: Grand Final (RPICS, Colombo)August 9: Designated Reserve Day

The player registration portal, meanwhile, has been open since May 8 and will close on May 20. While direct signings can take place until May 22, the deadline for registration for all categories remains May 20.

While the previous two seasons hosted an auction, this year will see the return of a draft, set for June 1.

This change means that no player retention will be allowed from previous seasons, setting the stage for a significant shake up in squad composition. Each team will need to have a minimum of 18 members in their squad, with a further provision to add two local players, taking the squad limit to a maximum of 20.

In order to boost homegrown participation, SLC has announced that two local Emerging U-23 players must be present in each squad, with at least one named in a team's starting XI. There must also be four overseas players in the playing XI at any given time.

The player registration guidelines had briefly sparked controversy on social media after an initial draft of the guidelines had listed a minimal count of 250,000 social media followers as a mandatory requirement for a registering Icon and Star category players - the two highest player categories. However, SLC has since removed that requirement.

LPL also kept a strong focus on ensuring player media engagement, with match fee penalties ranging from 5% to 50% for failure to meet the media and fan engagement requirements.