Colombo
Sri Lanka’s domestic T20 franchise league Lanka Premier League (LPL) said on Monday that Indian players will participate in this tournament for the first time. The sixth edition of this league will start from December 1. However, no official information has been given by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). There will be a total of 24 matches in the upcoming season of LIPL in which 20 group stage and four knockout matches will be played.
Matches will be held at three venues
LPL matches will be played at three venues which include R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy and Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium in Dambulla. LPL issued a statement saying, Indian cricketers are expected to play in this tournament for the first time. Their names will be announced soon which will add a new level of excitement to fans across the region.
According to this format all five franchises will compete against each other twice during the league stage. The top four teams at the end of the round robin stage will qualify for the playoffs. The top two teams will play in Qualifier 1, the winner of which will advance directly to the final. The third and fourth placed teams will face each other in the eliminator. The winner of this match will face the losing team in Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2, which will decide the other team that will make it to the finals.
BCCI does not allow playing in foreign leagues
Indian players do not participate in foreign T20 leagues till now. If Indian players join the LPL, it will be the first time that Indian players will be seen in a foreign T20 league. Actually, BCCI does not allow players included in central contracts and Indian players playing in IPL to play in foreign leagues. But players who have retired from international cricket and IPL can play in it with the approval of BCCI. Recently Ravichandran Ashwin had registered to play in the ILT20 league, but he did not find any taker. It is known that Ashwin has retired from international cricket and IPL. At the same time, Dinesh Karthik will also be seen playing in South Africa’s T20 league SAT20.
