The Lanka Premier League (LPL) has introduced new rules for its players in order to be eligible for the sixth edition of the tournament. The league is currently scheduled to take place between July 10 and August 5.
The new regulations specify that players will have to have played a certain number of matches and even have a certain number of social media followers to be eligible for various salary brackets.
The LPL has specified four categories of players based on both recent game-time and social media following. There are also specifiers for the total number of matches a player needs to have played in their career.
Icon, Star, Gold, and Classic categories introduced for players in LPL
The categories have been specified in a new document, also listing the criteria that players must fulfill.
Under the new regulations, players applying for the top-tier Icon category must have played at least 75 T20 internationals, featured in over 100 franchise T20 matches, and played a minimum of 30 matches during the past 18 months. In addition, they are required to have a social media following exceeding 250,000 followers.
Star category players must have played at least 50 T20Is, over 100 franchise T20 matches, and at least 30 matches in the last 18 months, while also maintaining a social media following above 250,000.
Gold category players are required to have a minimum of 30 T20Is, more than 75 franchise T20 matches, and at least 20 matches in the last 18 months. Players in this category must also have a social media following exceeding 150,000.
Classic category players must have at least 20 T20Is, more than 50 franchise T20 matches, and 20 matches in the past 18 months, with “reasonable fan base and commercial appeal” listed as essential criteria.
Overseas players need to play in the major leagues
The document also said that all overseas players need to have represented their country and should have played in top-tier T20 leagues organized by the other full-member boards.
"All overseas players must have either represented their national teams or played in top-tier T20 leagues such as tournaments organised by Full Member Boards, ILT20, or Major League Cricket within the last 12 months," the document stated.
Retired local players are not eligible to participate in the league.
On Friday, May 8, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the IPG Group opened the overseas player registration portal. The portal, accessible through www.srilankacricket.lk, will remain open through May 20.
SLC says that efforts are underway to expand the player base by attracting talent from emerging and associate cricket nations, including Ireland, Scotland, Zimbabwe, Nepal, the United States, Oman, Italy, Namibia, and the Netherlands.
“We are absolutely delighted with the interest and enquiries from top cricketers across all cricket-playing nations who want to play in Season 6 of the LPL,” LPL Tournament Director Samantha Dodanwela said.
“The overwhelming response from players clearly underlines the growing status of the LPL,” he added.
Also Read: LPL 2026: Sri Lanka Cricket reveals dates and four venues for upcoming season
Player salaries and international pre-signings for LPL 2026
Each franchise will be allowed to include two international marquee players and two Sri Lankan marquee players for the 2026 season.
As reported by Newswire, the pre-signed player list is expected to be announced next week.
The SLC also listed the salary structure for the four categories. The salary structure for Season 6 places Icon and Star category players in the USD 60,000 to USD 80,000 bracket, Platinum players at USD 50,000, Gold players at USD 30,000, and Classic players at USD 20,000.
