Colombo, May 23: The sixth season of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) has generated significant excitement internationally. Ahead of the player draft scheduled for June 1, over 650 foreign cricketers have registered for this tournament.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced on Saturday that more than 650 international players have signed up for the LPL 2026. This includes players from all ICC full member countries as well as several associate member nations.
Among the full member countries, Pakistan leads with 102 registrations, followed by the West Indies with 75 and South Africa with 66 players. Bangladesh has 48 registrations, while New Zealand contributes 41 players to the draft pool. Australia has 24, England 15, and India 12 players registered.
In the associate countries, the highest registrations came from the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Ireland. Overall, players from 21 cricket-playing nations participated in the registration process.
However, tournament officials confirmed that only 310 players will be shortlisted for the final draft after a screening process. The LPL 2026 player draft will take place on June 1, with the tournament running from July 17 to August 8.
Meanwhile, SLC has announced the first match of the Lanka Premier League. The defending champions, Jaffna Kings, will face the runners-up, Galle Marvels, on July 17. This match will be held at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo.
Originally, the tournament was scheduled to start in December 2025, but it was rescheduled due to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. This season will feature five franchises competing in a double round-robin format, followed by playoffs for the top four teams. The final match of the tournament is set for August 8.
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