The preparations for the much anticipated Lanka Premier League 2023 are underway. Interestingly, an auction will be conducted for the first time in the history of the championship. The organizers of LPL are aiming to conduct an Indian Premier League (IPL) styled auction that will be conducted in the coming month. The upcoming edition of the LPL will be the fourth one and the fans are excited as another franchise has been added into the tournament. Colombo Strikers will now battle it out in their inaugural season with great enthusiasm.
The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced certain rules and regulations about the auctions. Let’s have a gist of them:
- Each franchise can select a maximum of 24 players and a minimum of 20 Players.
- A minimum of six overseas players are allowed to feature in any franchise.
- The maximum salary set for each franchise is set to $1 Million.
- Before the auctions, each franchise can spend up to USD 500,000 for four direct purchases.
- The direct purchases can be bulk or with three signings and one right-to-match card and two signings and two right-to-match cards.
The Prize Money for the prestigious Lanka Premier League will be 50,000,000 Sri Lankan Rupees. The fourth edition of the championship will be conducted from July 30 to August 30. The schedule has been finalized after considering Sri Lanka’s international commitments and the Caribbean Premier League.
Two venues will host the LPL 4. They are:
- Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
- Pallekele International Stadium, Pallekele
Interestingly, the upcoming edition of the LPL will be the first one to be held in its original July to August cycle. The previous editions were postponed due to the outbreak of Covid. Prominent and promising international talents including Babar Azam, David Miller, Shakib Al Hasan, and local Sri Lankan players Wanindu Hasaranga and Dasun Shanaka will be on every franchise’s list. It is believed that Babar Azam has been signed as an icon player with Colombo Strikers along with Naseem Shah, Matheesha Pathirana, and Chamika Karunaratne.
Also read, ENG vs IRE: England Named Test Squad For Ireland Test