Lanka Premier League
 Logo of Lanka Premier League | |
| Countries | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Sri Lanka Cricket |
| Format | Twenty20 |
| First edition | 2020 |
| Latest edition | 2023 |
| Next edition | 2024 |
| Tournament format | Double Round-robin and playoffs |
| Number of teams | 5 |
| Current champion | B-Love Kandy (1st title) |
| Most successful | Jaffna Kings (3 titles) |
| Most runs | Avishka Fernando (1,170)[1] |
| Most wickets | Wanindu Hasaranga (57)[2] |
| Website | lankapremierleaguet20.com |
| Tournaments |
|---|
The Lanka Premier League (abbreviated as LPL;
As of 2023, there have been four seasons of the tournament.[6] The current title holder team is B-Love Kandy, who won the 2023 Lanka Premier League by defeating Dambulla Aura in the final.[7]
History
The first season of the league was initially planned to be held from 18 August to 10 September 2018,[5][8][9] but this was postponed multiple times due to administrative issues within Sri Lanka Cricket.[10][11][12] In June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, SLC announced the tournament would start on 28 August 2020,[13][14] with 70 overseas players showing an interest in playing in the league.[15] In August 2020, Ravin Wickramaratne, the Vice President of SLC was officially appointed as the director of the tournament.[16] After being rescheduled due to pandemic related restrictions, the first season began on 26 November 2020.
In May 2022, Samantha Dodanwala was officially appointed as the LPL tournament director.
Teams
Locations of Lanka Premier League teams
Current teams
| Team | City | Debut | Owner | Captain | Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombo Strikers | Colombo, Western Province | 2023 | Sagar Khanna | Niroshan Dickwella | Simon Helmot | |
Dambulla Thunders
|
Dambulla, Central Province | 2024 | Imperial Sports Group | Kusal Mendis | Avishka Gunawardene | |
| Galle Marvels | Galle, Southern Province | 2024 | Cricket Marvels LLC | Dasun Shanaka | Lance Klusener | |
| Jaffna Kings | Jaffna, Northern Province | 2021 | Subaskaran Allirajah | Thisara Perera | Thilina Kandamby | |
| B-Love Kandy | Kandy, Central Province | 2023 | Omar Khan | Wanindu Hasaranga | Piyal Wijetunge | |
Franchise history
| Franchise (Owner) |
City | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombo | Colombo, Western Province | Colombo Kings (Murfad Mustafa) |
Colombo Stars )
(Softlogic Holdings |
Colombo Strikers (Sagar Khanna) | ||
| Dambulla | Dambulla, Central Province | Dambulla Viiking )
(Sachiin Joshi |
Dambulla Giants (Qamar Khan) |
Dambulla Aura (Viranjith Thambugala) |
Dambulla Thunders (Imperial Sport Group) | |
| Galle | Galle, Southern Province | Galle Gladiators )
(Nadeem Omar |
Galle Titans )
(Nayana Wasalathilake |
Galle Marvels (Cricket Marvels LLC) | ||
| Jaffna | Jaffna, Northern Province | Jaffna Stallions )
(Anandan Arnold; Rahul Sood |
Jaffna Kings (Subaskaran Allirajah) | |||
| Kandy | Kandy, Central Province | Kandy Tuskers ; Abbas Muni)
(Sohail Khan |
Kandy Warriors (Ravi Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi) |
Kandy Falcons (Parvez Khan) |
B-Love Kandy (Omar Khan) | |
Organisation
Player acquisition, squad composition and salaries
In the league's first three seasons, teams chose players using a draft system, having previously had the opportunity to sign a limited number of players directly.[19] For the 2023 season, an auction was introduced. Each franchise was allowed to directly sign two local players and two overseas players ahead of the auction. Each franchise operated with a salary cap of US$1 million, US500,000 of which could be spent on direct signings with the remaining spent in the auction.[20]
Governing Council
Sri Lanka Cricket, which is responsible for all elements of the tournament, established a governing council to administer the league. Members of the governing council include Sri Lanka CEO Ashley de Silva. The marketing and organisation rights to the LPL were awarded to an Indian-owned Dubai-based company, Innovative Production Group (IPG) in 2020.[21]
Finances
The inaugural edition of the league reached a cumulative audience of 557 million through TV, digital-social media and traditional media.[22] According to the 2021 Annual Report of Sri Lanka Cricket, The league generated revenue of LKR334 million in 2020, LKR463 million in 2021, LKR839 million in 2022.[23][24]
| Franchise | Valuation |
|---|---|
| Jaffna Kings | US$3.98 million |
Galle Gladiators |
US$3.82 million |
Dambulla Viiking |
US$3.54 million |
Colombo Kings |
US$3.44 million |
Kandy Tuskers |
US$3.19 million |
Source: Newswire.lk, June 2021
Criticism
Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe raised the issue of the need to regulate Lanka Premier League franchise owners and sponsors during the parliamentary adjournment debate on Sri Lanka Cricket's expenditure for the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Some of the sponsors of the 2023 Lanka Premier League included gambling companies and unauthorized foreign exchange trading platforms. Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe claimed that B-Love Network, the owners of the Kandy franchise, is banned in Sri Lanka.[25]
Seasons
Out of the five franchises that have played in the league, Jaffna franchise has won three titles while Kandy franchise has won only one title.
Finals
| Season | Final | Player of the season | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winners | Result | Runners-up | Venue | ||
| 2020 | Jaffna Stallions 188/6 (20 overs) |
Jaffna Stallions won by 53 runs Scorecard |
Galle Gladiators 135/9 (20 overs) |
Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium, Hambantota |
Jaffna Stallions )
|
| 2021 | Jaffna Kings 201/3 (20 overs) |
Jaffna Kings won by 23 runs Scorecard |
Galle Gladiators 178/9 (20 overs) |
Avishka Fernando (Jaffna Kings) | |
| 2022 | Jaffna Kings 164/8 (19.2 overs) |
Jaffna Kings won by 2 wickets Scorecard |
Colombo Stars 163/5 (20 overs) |
R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo |
Sadeera Samarawickrama (Jaffna Kings) |
| 2023 | B-Love Kandy 151/5 (19.5 overs) |
B-Love Kandy won by 5 wickets Scorecard |
Dambulla Aura 147/4 (20 overs) |
Wanindu Hasaranga (B-Love Kandy) | |
| 2024 | |||||
Team playing records
- As of 20 August 2023
| Teams | Mat | Won | Lost | Tie & W | Tie & L | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombo Franchise | 37 | 17 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dambulla Franchise | 37 | 18 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Galle Franchise
|
39 | 13 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jaffna Franchise | 40 | 25 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kandy Franchise | 37 | 17 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Source: CricInfo[31]
Notes:
- Tie & W and Tie & L indicates the matches tied and then won by or lost by super overrespectively.
Team's performance
Season Franchise |
2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombo Franchise | 4th | 4th | RU | 5th | TBC |
| Dambulla Franchise | 3rd | 3rd | 5th | RU | |
Galle Franchise
|
RU | RU | 4th | 3rd | |
| Jaffna Franchise | C | C | C | 4th | |
| Kandy Franchise | 5th | 5th | 3rd | C |
Records
- As of 19 August 2023
Team records
- Highest total: 240/4, by Jaffna Kings against Dambulla Aura, 11 December 2022[32]
- Lowest total: 69 all out, by Dambulla Giants against Jaffna Kings, 13 December 2021[33]
Batting records
Career individual runs
| Runs | Player | Teams | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,170 | Avishka Fernando | Jaffna Stallions, Jaffna Kings, Dambulla Aura |
2020–2023 |
| 1,069 | Dinesh Chandimal | Colombo Stars, B-Love Kandy |
2020–2023 |
| 1,066 | Kusal Mendis | Galle Gladiators, Dambulla Aura |
2020–2023 |
| 776 | Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Kandy Tuskers, Jaffna Kings |
2020–2023 |
| 702 | Dhanushka Gunathilaka |
Galle Gladiators |
2020–2021 |
Source: CricInfo[1]
Highest individual score
| Runs | Player | Team | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 108* | Laurie Evans | Colombo Kings |
Jaffna Stallions |
Hambantota |
10 December 2020 |
| 104 | Babar Azam | Colombo Strikers | Galle Titans |
Pallekele |
7 August 2023 |
| 102* | Andre Fletcher | Kandy Falcons |
Colombo Stars |
Hambantota |
6 December 2022 |
| 100 | Avishka Fernando | Jaffna Kings | Dambulla Giants |
21 December 2021 | |
| 97* | Thisara Perera | Jaffna Stallions |
Dambulla Viiking |
30 November 2020 |
Source: CricInfo[34]
Bowling records
Career wickets
| Wickets | Player | Teams | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | Wanindu Hasaranga | Kandy Falcons, B-Love Kandy |
2020–2023 |
| 43 | Nuwan Pradeep | Galle Gladiators, B-Love Kandy |
2020–2023 |
| 41 | Nuwan Thushara | Galle Gladiators, Jaffna Kings |
2020–2023 |
| 33 | Maheesh Theekshana | Jaffna Stallions, Jaffna Kings |
2020–2023 |
| 30 | Kasun Rajitha | Galle Titans |
2020–2023 |
Source: CricInfo[2]
Best bowling in an innings
| Figures | Player | Team | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/9 | Wanindu Hasaranga | B-Love Kandy | Jaffna Kings | Colombo | 17 August 2023 |
| 6/25 | Jeffrey Vandersay | Colombo Stars |
Kandy Warriors |
17 December 2021 | |
| 5/13 | Nuwan Thushara | Galle Gladiators |
Jaffna Kings | Hambantota |
19 December 2021 |
| 5/22 | Kasun Rajitha | Colombo Stars |
Dambulla Aura | Pallekele |
14 December 2022 |
| 5/26 | Mohammad Amir | Galle Gladiators |
Colombo Kings |
Hambantota |
7 December 2020 |
Source: CricInfo[35]
References
- ^ CricInfo. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ a b "Most career wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ "SLC optimistic about inaugural Lanka Premier League despite concerns over border reopening". Zee News. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ "Lanka Premier League 2020: Sri Lanka Cricket to confirm fixtures after decision on India series". The Sports Rush. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ a b "Sri Lanka Cricket to launch Lankan Premier League 2018". ThePapare.com. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ "Series results". ESPNcricinfo. 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ Records in Lanka Premier League ESPNCricinfo
- ^ "SLC set to relaunch Sri Lanka Premier League in August 2018; Nidahas Trophy to act as launch pad". FirstCricket. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
- ^ "Sunday Times – Cricket: Sri Lanka to launch LPL with five-year window in August–September". www.sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
- ^ "SLC shambles lead to postponement of Lankan Premier League". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- ^ "Lankan Premier League (LPL) postponed". ThePapare.com. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "Lankan Premier League revival in the works – SLC secretary Mohan De Silva". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
- ^ "Sri Lanka plan Lanka Premier League in August". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- ^ "Lanka Premier League to start on August 28". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ "Lanka Premier League: Irfan Pathan in pool of 70 foreign players for draft". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ "Sri Lanka Cricket Vice President Ravin Wickramaratne officially appointed LPL Tournament Director". cricketage.in. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- ^ Samantha Dodanwela appointed LPL Tournament Director Thepapare.com Retrieved 4 May 2022
- ^ Fernando, Andrew Fidel (17 July 2022). "LPL 2022 postponed due to economic situation in Sri Lanka". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
- ^ LPL Player Draft 2022 | Players List
- ^ LPL Season 4 to have IPL-style auction for the five squads
- ^ Tagore, Vijay (2 August 2020). "Indian-owned Dubai firm bags Lanka Premier League rights". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
- ^ "LPL team valuation chart released : Jaffna tops with $3.98m". newswire.lk. Wire Digital Pvt Ltd. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- ^ "Annual Report 2021" (PDF). srilankacricket.lk. Sri Lanka Cricket. 2023. p. 129. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ "Annual Report 2022" (PDF). Sri Lanka Cricket. 2023. p. 167. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
- ^ "Concerns over LPL 4 franchise ownerships". The Sunday Times. Wijeya Newspapers. 27 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
- ^ "Jaffna claimed the madain title of LPL". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ^ "Jaffna Stallions win inaugural Lanka Premier League with thumping final win over Galle Gladiators". SkySports. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ^ "LPL 2020 Finals : Jaffna Stallions wins Lanka Premier League title, beat Galle Gladiators in LPL Finals". InsideSport. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ^ "Avishka, Kohler-Cadmore fire Jaffna Kings to second successive LPL title". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
- ^ "Avishka, Samarawickrama lead Jaffna Kings to third straight LPL title". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
- ^ "Lanka Premier League Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Highest totals". ESPNcricinfo. 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ "Lowest totals". ESPNcricinfo. 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- CricInfo. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ "Most career wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
External links
- Official Website of LPL
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