Lanka Premier League 2026: Player Draft Replaces Auction, Here's Every Major Update
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has officially announced that there will be no auction held for the sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) this year. Instead, a Player Draft system will be used for player selection on March 22, 2026.
New Schedule and Reason for Postponement
The sixth season of the LPL was originally scheduled for December 2025. However, it was postponed to ensure preparations and venue readiness for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Sri Lanka and India. The tournament will now be held between July 8 and August 8, 2026.
Return of the Draft System
This is the first time since 2022 that the draft system is being used in the LPL. Player auctions were held in the previous two seasons (2024 and 2025). According to SLC, franchises will select both Sri Lankan and foreign players for their teams through this draft.
Team Dynamics and Ownership Crisis
There were discussions about including a sixth team in the competition, but no progress has been made on this front. This season will also feature five teams—Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Dambulla, and Jaffna.
Crisis for Two Major Teams: Recently, SLC terminated its contracts with the Jaffna Kings and Colombo Strikers. These franchises are accused of "failure to fulfill contractual obligations." As a result, the announcement of new owners for these two teams is still pending. Currently, there are no franchises in the LPL with a history older than 2024.
LPL 2026: Key Highlights
- Player Draft Date: March 22, 2026
- Tournament Duration: July 8 to August 8, 2026
- System: Draft instead of auction (for the first time since 2022)
- Total Teams: 5 (Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Dambulla, Jaffna)
- Reason for Delay: Venue preparations for the T20 World Cup 2026
