LPL Tournament Director Says Potential Owners for Sixth Team Being ‘Vetted’

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has revealed that the sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) is scheduled from November 27 to December 23.

This year marks the fourth occasion out of six that the LPL will take place in the November-December period, instead of the originally desired July-August timeframe. Tournament organizers believe this scheduling provides optimal preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, commencing in February.

LPL Tournament Director Samantha Dodanwela stated, “The idea to hold the LPL during this period is to align the tournament with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.”

Moreover, international media reports suggest discussions are ongoing regarding the inclusion of a sixth team.

Dodanwela informed a cricket news outlet that, “Potential owners for the sixth team are undergoing evaluation.”

It’s worth noting that the league’s first five seasons involved five teams, representing Jaffna, Colombo, Kandy, Galle, and Dambulla.

The LPL 2025 will be hosted across the country’s three main international venues, namely the Rana Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, and Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium.

Dodanwela further mentioned SLC’s intention to prepare more batting-friendly pitches for the league. This effort aims to better prepare batters for the T20 World Cup, which India and Sri Lanka will co-host.

Dodanwela commented, “We were quite pleased with the pitches in the last edition, especially in Dambulla and Kandy. We witnessed numerous high scores and even centuries during that phase of the tournament. Colombo was the only location where batting presented some difficulty.”