The Lanka Premier League (LPL) will be back in 2026, and the next edition is scheduled to start from July 17 and will end on August 8, marking the return of Sri Lanka’s premier T20 competition.
The season opener will be a repeat of the 2024 final as reigning champions Jaffna take on runners-up Galle at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground under lights.
The match will kick off at 7:30 pm local time, and an official opening ceremony will be held.
The 2026 event was originally scheduled to start sooner, but the finished schedule confirms a July 17 start, with matches at four major venues before the knockout rounds come back to Colombo.
The SSC will host the opening leg from July 17–19, and then the action will move to Dambulla and then to Kandy before returning to Colombo for the business end of the tournament at the R. Premadasa Stadium.
The final is scheduled to be played on 8 August with a reserve day on 9 August.
The league will have five franchises from Jaffna, Colombo, Kandy, Galle and Dambulla. The official team ownership and branding have yet to be announced, but Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is expected to confirm full franchise identities closer to the tournament.
Players can sign up starting May 8, and registration will close on May 20, though direct sign-ups can continue until May 22. The 2026 season will go back to a draft system instead of auctions, as in previous editions, and will be held on June 1.
One major structural change for the new season is the removal of player retention, meaning all squads will be rebuilt from scratch. Squads must consist of at least 18 players and can include no more than 20 players.Squads are to consist of no less than 18 and no more than 20 players.
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