The Lanka Premier League (LPL) is a professional cricket league in Sri Lanka that features five teams representing different cities of the country. The league was founded by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in 2018 and had its first season in 2020. The LPL is one of the most popular and competitive T20 leagues in the world, attracting many international stars and local talents. The LPL aims to promote cricket development and entertainment in Sri Lanka, as well as to generate revenue and tourism for the country.
The LPL was initially planned to be held in 2018, but was postponed several times due to administrative issues within SLC and the COVID-19 pandemic. The first season finally took place from 26 November to 16 December 2020, with five teams participating: Colombo Kings, Dambulla Viiking, Galle Gladiators, Jaffna Stallions and Kandy Tuskers. The tournament was held at two venues: Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy. The Jaffna Stallions emerged as the champions, defeating the Galle Gladiators by 53 runs in the final.
The second season of LPL was scheduled to start on 19 November 2021, with some changes in the team names and owners. Colombo Kings became Colombo Stars, Dambulla Viiking became Dambulla Aura, Jaffna Stallions became Jaffna Kings and Kandy Tuskers became Kandy Falcons. A new team, Kandy Warriors, replaced Galle Gladiators. However, due to the ongoing Sri Lankan economic crisis and the resultant protests, the tournament was postponed indefinitely. The rights holder of the tournament, the Innovative Production Group, was unwilling to go ahead with the schedule due to the prevailing economic situation at the time.
The third edition of LPL is expected to take place in August 2023, with the hope of resolving the issues that caused the postponement of the second season. The SLC and the IPG are working together to ensure the smooth conduct of the tournament, which is expected to attract more sponsors, broadcasters and players. The five teams that participated in the first season are likely to return, with some changes in their rosters and management.
The LPL follows a double round-robin and playoffs format, similar to other T20 leagues such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Each team plays each other twice in the league stage, with two points awarded for a win, one point for a tie or no result, and no points for a loss. The top four teams at the end of the league stage qualify for the playoffs, which consist of two qualifiers, an eliminator and a final.
The first qualifier is played between the first and second-placed teams in the league stage, with the winner advancing to the final and the loser getting another chance in the second qualifier. The second qualifier is played between the third and fourth-placed teams in the league stage, with the winner facing the loser of the first qualifier for a spot in the final. The eliminator is played between the loser of the second qualifier and the winner of an additional match between the fifth and sixth-placed teams in the league stage, with the winner advancing to the final. The final is played between the winners of the first qualifier and the eliminator, with the winner being crowned as the champion of the LPL.
The LPL features five teams representing different cities of Sri Lanka: Colombo Stars, Dambulla Aura, Jaffna Kings, Kandy Falcons and Galle Gladiators. Each team has a squad of up to 20 players, including up to six overseas players. Each team can field up to four overseas players in their playing XI. Each team also has a captain, a coach and an owner.
Colombo Stars are based in Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka. They are owned by Ashok Pathirage, the founder and chairman of Softlogic Holdings PLC, a diversified conglomerate. They are captained by Angelo Mathews, a former Sri Lankan captain and an all-rounder. They are coached by Ruwan Kalpage, a former Sri Lankan cricketer and a spin bowling coach. Some of their notable players are Dinesh Chandimal, a wicket-keeper batsman and a former Sri Lankan captain, Isuru Udana, a left-arm fast bowler and a lower-order hitter, and Andre Russell, a West Indian all-rounder and one of the most destructive T20 players in the world.
Dambulla Aura are based in Dambulla, a city in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. They are owned by Viranjith Thambugala, the chairman of Aura Group of Companies, a leading business group in Sri Lanka. They are captained by Dasun Shanaka, a current Sri Lankan captain and a hard-hitting all-rounder. They are coached by Mickey Arthur, a former South African cricketer and a renowned coach who has coached several national teams, including Sri Lanka. Some of their notable players are Niroshan Dickwella, a wicket-keeper batsman and a flamboyant stroke-maker, Lahiru Kumara, a right-arm fast bowler and a promising young talent, and David Miller, a South African batsman and one of the most explosive T20 players in the world.
Jaffna Kings are based in Jaffna, a city in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. They are owned by Subaskaran Allirajah, the founder and chairman of Lycamobile Group, a global mobile virtual network operator. They are captained by Thisara Perera, a former Sri Lankan captain and an all-rounder. They are coached by Thilina Kandamby, a former Sri Lankan cricketer and a middle-order batsman. Some of their notable players are Avishka Fernando, a young and aggressive opening batsman who was the leading run-scorer in the first season of LPL, Wanindu Hasaranga, a leg-spinning all-rounder who was the leading wicket-taker in the first season of LPL, and Shoaib Malik, a Pakistani veteran and a versatile T20 player.
Kandy Falcons are based in Kandy, a city in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. They are owned by Parvez Khan, the chairman of Pacific Ventures Group, a Dubai-based real estate and construction company. They are captained by Wanindu Hasaranga, a leg-spinning all-rounder who was the leading wicket-taker in the first season of LPL. They are coached by Piyal Wijetunge, a former Sri Lankan cricketer and a spin bowling coach. Some of their notable players are Kusal Perera, a wicket-keeper batsman and a current Sri Lankan captain, Kusal Mendis, a top-order batsman and a former Sri Lankan vice-captain, and Carlos Brathwaite, a West Indian all-rounder and a World T20 winner.
Galle Gladiators are based in Galle, a city in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. They are owned by Nadeem Omar, the owner of Omar Associates, a leading business group in Pakistan. They are captained by Kusal Mendis, a top-order batsman and a former Sri Lankan vice-captain. They are coached by Moin Khan, a former Pakistani captain and a wicket-keeper batsman. Some of their notable players are Danushka Gunathilaka, an opening batsman and a part-time spinner, Lakshan Sandakan, a left-arm wrist spinner and a handy lower-order batsman, and Mohammad Amir, a Pakistani left-arm fast bowler and one of the best T20 bowlers in the world.
The Lanka Premier League is a professional cricket league in Sri Lanka that showcases the best of T20 cricket. The league features five teams representing different cities of Sri Lanka, each with their own star players, coaches and owners. The league follows a double round-robin and playoffs format, with each team playing each other twice in the league stage and the top four teams qualifying for the playoffs. The league aims to promote cricket development and entertainment in Sri Lanka, as well as to generate revenue and tourism for the country. The third edition of LPL is expected to take place in August 2023, after the postponement of the second edition due to the economic crisis and protests in Sri Lanka.
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