Lanka Premier League: All you need to know

The Cricketer runs down the who, what, where, when, why, how much, which channel and how wet will it be for the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League

What is it?

The long-awaited, inaugural edition of Sri Lanka’s franchise T20 competition.

Where is it?

After much change and deliberation, the tournament is being held at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Hambantota, owing to Covid-19 restrictions.

When is it?

The competition begins on November 26 and runs through to December 16.

What’s the format?

Five teams will play each other twice in a 20-game group stage, followed by two semi-finals and a final.

How have we got to this stage?

The competition’s scheduled start date has been shifted several times: firstly, from November 14 to November 21, due to the compulsory 14-day quarantine period that any overseas player entering the country has been forced to undergo ahead of the tournament. Before that, it had initially been arranged for August.

Since then, however, November 26 has been set for the curtain-raiser, with Colombo Kings taking on Kandy Tuskers.

The draft was also subject to some considerable chaos. It ultimately took place on October 19, having already been postponed twice. It was originally due to take place on October 1, before being pushed back to October 9. However, a rise in coronavirus cases in the country forced the second postponement.

Once the competition was confirmed, there were further issues. The impact of the pandemic in Sri Lanka and a spike in cases led to suggestions that it might be played elsewhere, with both Malaysia and UAE touted as possible alternatives.

^{Dale Steyn has signed for Kandy Tuskers}

Who’s involved?

Several big names are set to be involved, despite the withdrawals of many who were initially slated to take part. Chris Gayle misses out due to injury, while Lasith Malinga has opted out, citing fitness issues and a lack of match practice. Ravi Bopara, who was signed as a replacement, then withdrew because of payment issues. Pakistani seamer Sohail Tanvir landed in Sri Lanka, before subsequently testing positive for Covid-19 – Kandy Tuskers have filled his void by signing Dale Steyn.

Former India internationals Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan have both also joined Kandy. Faf du Plessis and Dawid Malan both withdrew after being named in South Africa and England’s limited-over squads for their upcoming series. Likewise, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfraz Ahmed and Wahab Riaz all opted out following their selection in Pakistan’s 35-man party for their tour of New Zealand. Colin Ingram and Carlos Brathwaite have both pulled out since signing Big Bash contracts.

Herschelle Gibbs has been appointed as Colombo Kings head coach, Owais Shah will coach Dambulla Vikings, Moin Khan is in charge of Galle Gladiators, Thilina Kandamby will head up Jaffna Stallions and Hashan Tillakaratne is head coach of Kandy Tuskers.

Lanka Premier League squads

How can I follow it?

Sony will broadcast the tournament in much of South Asia, with PTV showing the competition in Pakistan and ITN securing local rights in Sri Lanka.

Sky Sports will broadcast the matches in the United Kingdom.

Spectators worldwide can watch the competition on streaming service LIVENow.

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