Lanka Premier League to conduct player draft instead of auction on March 22

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed that this year's Lanka Premier League (LPL) will not feature a player auction. Instead, a draft will be held on March 22 to determine team squads for the sixth edition of the tournament.

Originally scheduled for early December 2025, the LPL was postponed to allow sufficient preparation of venues ahead of the 2026 ICC World Cup, which Sri Lanka will co-host with India. 

The league is now set to take place from July 8 to August 8, SLC's preferred window for the competition.

This season marks the return of the draft system for the first time since 2022, following two consecutive years of player auctions. 

"During the draft, franchises will select both Sri Lankan and overseas players for the upcoming season of Sri Lanka's premier domestic T20 tournament," an SLC media release confirmed.

Prior to the postponement, the addition of a sixth team had been discussed, but there have been no updates on that plan. 

Historically, the first five editions of the LPL featured five franchises representing Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Dambulla and Jaffna.

Earlier this year, SLC terminated the Jaffna Kings and Colombo Strikers franchises, citing "failure to uphold contractual obligations." 

As a result, the league currently has no franchises with ownership history extending beyond 2024, and new owners for both the Jaffna and Colombo teams are yet to be announced.