Two big franchises terminated in the middle of IPL 2025
Published - 29 Apr 2025, 04:38 PM | Updated - 29 Apr 2025, 04:41 PM
Table of Contents
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and The IPG Group, the event rights holder of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), have officially announced the termination of franchise partnerships in the middle of IPL 2025. This decision from the Sri Lanka cricket board ends the involvement of Colombo Strikers and Jaffna Kings in the Lanka Premier League (LPL).
The Lanka Premier League is Sri Lanka's premier T20 cricket competition and has played a vital role in identifying local talent. It was launched during the pandemic and has been a platform for emerging stars like Maheesh Theekshana and Pathum Nissanka. The cricketers have been regular members of the Sri Lanka team.
Colombo Strikers and Jaffna Kings Officially Terminated by Sri Lanka Cricket
Sri Lanka Cricket took to its official website to announce the termination of the franchise partnerships with the Colombo Strikers and Jaffna Kings. According to the statement, the decision was made after both franchises failed to meet their contractual obligations in their agreements with the league.
"Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), as the owner of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), together with The IPG Group, the event rights holder of the LPL, wishes to officially announce that the franchise partnerships of the Colombo Strikers and Jaffna Kings have been terminated," the statement read.
Colombo Strikers and Jaffna Kings to Be Replaced by New Ownership
The IPG Group, the rights holder of the LPL, communicated this issue to SLC, confirming that both franchises would be replaced by new ownership for the upcoming edition of the tournament.
"The IPG Group has formally communicated to SLC that the terminations have been effected due to the respective franchises’ failure to fulfill their contractual obligations as stipulated under the agreements entered into at the commencement of their participation in the league."
"Consequent to the above, the forthcoming edition of the Lanka Premier League will feature franchises representing Colombo and Jaffna under new ownership."
The 2024 edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) concluded with a final between the Galle Marvels and Jaffna Kings. Jaffna secured their fourth title in five seasons, which shows their dominance in the league’s history.
SLC and IPG Group Reaffirm Commitment to Integrity and Growth of LPL
The official statement also clarified that the IPG Group has full authority to transfer or reassign the ownership of Lanka Premier League franchises to new stakeholders.
"As the event rights holder, the IPG Group retains the exclusive rights over the LPL franchise teams and, accordingly, is vested with the authority to transfer and/or assign the ownership rights of the said franchises to interested parties."
"Sri Lanka Cricket and The IPG Group remain committed to upholding the integrity, standards, and success of the Lanka Premier League and look forward to an exciting upcoming season with renewed participation."
The Jaffna franchise has been the most successful team in LPL history. They won the inaugural title as the Jaffna Stallions by defeating the Galle Gladiators in 2020. Jaffna Stallions were rebranded as Jaffna Kings and won three titles in the next four seasons. The Kandy franchise has managed to win only one title.
Also read: IPL 2025: Harshit Rana openly calls for Gautam Gambhir's comeback in KKR
About the Author
Sai Vaitla is an author at Cricketaddictor and he has been working since September 2022. Sai Vaitla... Read more
