Lanka Premier League 2025 to use player draft; no auction
What's the story
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced that the upcoming edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) will not have an auction. Instead, a player draft will take place on March 22. According to ESPNcricinfo, this is the first time since 2022 that SLC is using a draft system for LPL, after two seasons of player auctions. Here are further details.
Tournament details
LPL 2025's schedule and format
The sixth LPL edition was originally scheduled for early December 2025. However, it was postponed to ensure venue readiness for the 2026 ICC World Cup, which Sri Lanka and India will co-host. The tournament will now be held from July 8 to August 8 this year, in a format similar to its previous five editions. Five teams - Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Dambulla, and Jaffna - will feature in the tournament.
Draft procedure
Player selection process and team representation
During the upcoming player draft, the franchises will select both Sri Lankan and overseas players for their teams. An SLC media release recently confirmed this. The inclusion of a sixth team had been discussed before the tournament's postponement, but there have been no updates on that front since then.
Information
A look at franchise changes
Earlier this year, Jaffna Kings and Colombo Strikers were made redundant by SLC for "failure to uphold contractual obligations." This means the LPL currently has no franchise owners with a history beyond 2024. New owners for both teams are yet to be announced.