Tag: LPL 2026

COLOMBO: Five Pakistani cricketers secured contracts in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 players draft on Monday, with experienced all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz among the notable names picked by franchises ahead of the upcoming season.

The draft, held in Colombo, saw players distributed across the tournament’s five franchises as teams finalised their squads for the sixth edition of the competition, which is scheduled to run from July 17 to August 8.

Galle Gallants made the biggest move involving a Pakistani player by signing Mohammad Nawaz in the Platinum overseas category. The franchise further strengthened its squad by selecting emerging left-arm pacer Akif Javed in the Gold category.

Colombo Kaps also turned to Pakistan talent during the draft, acquiring wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris and fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani in the Gold category to bolster their overseas contingent.

Meanwhile, Dambulla Sixers added Pakistan pacer Mohammad Wasim Jr to their squad in the Gold category. He will join fellow countryman Sahibzada Farhan, who had already been signed by the franchise as their overseas icon player ahead of the draft.

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The LPL 2026 season will officially begin on July 17 with a rematch of the 2024 final between reigning champions Jaffna Kings and runners-up Galle Gallants.

The 2026 edition of the league will feature five teams, Jaffna Kings, Colombo Kaps, Kandy Royals, Galle Gallants and Dambulla Sixers, competing for the title.

The opening fixture will be played under lights at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo, which recently hosted its maiden T20 International during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

The tournament’s opening leg will remain in Colombo from July 17 to 19 before the action shifts to Dambulla and then Kandy.

The competition will subsequently return to Colombo for the playoffs and final, which will be staged at the R. Premadasa Stadium. A reserve day has also been scheduled for August 9 in case the weather affects the final.

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COLOMBO: Pakistan opening batter Sahibzada Farhan was among the top pre-signed players ahead of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026. 

The five franchises of the tournament have unveiled their pre-signed players, with remaining squad spots to be filled during the player Draft on 1 June to be held in Colombo.

Farhan, the breakout star of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup have been roped in by Dambulla Sixers as an overseas icon player. He will be joined by South Africa’s Reeza Hendricks, alongside Sri Lankan duo of Dinesh Chandimal and Dushmanta Chameera.

Meanwhile, four-time champions Jaffna Kings have acquired the services of veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and fast bowler Taskin Ahmed. The pair will be accompanied by Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dunith Wellalage.

On the contrary, Galle Gallants are yet to name their Overseas Star player.

Notably, recently retired Indian all-rounder Vijay Shankar has also joined the marquee tournament and will play for Kandy Royals as an overseas star.

For the unversed, LPL is set to return with the upcoming edition scheduled to begin on July 17 and run until August 8, marking the comeback of Sri Lanka’s flagship T20 competition.

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The tournament will open at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground under lights, with a rematch of the 2024 final as reigning champions Jaffna face runners-up Galle in the season opener.

The final is scheduled for August 8, with a reserve day set for August 9.

A major structural change for the new season is the removal of player retention, meaning all squads will be rebuilt from scratch. Each team will consist of a minimum of 18 players, with a maximum squad size of 20.

LPL 2026 pre-signed players:

 

Colombo Kaps

Local Icon: Kusal Mendis
Local Star: Kamindu Mendis
Overseas Icon: Jimmy Neesham
Overseas Star: Ben McDermott

Dambulla Sixers

Local Icon: Dushmantha Chameera
Local Star: Dinesh Chandimal
Overseas Icon: Sahibzada Farhan
Overseas Star: Reeza Hendricks

Galle Gallants

Local Icon: Dasun Shanaka
Local Star: Eshan Malinga
Overseas Icon: Rassie Ve Der Dussen
Overseas Star:

Jaffna Kings

Local Icon: Bhanuka Rajapaksa
Local Star: Dunith Wellalage
Overseas Icon: Shakib Al Hasan
Overseas Star: Taskin Ahmed

Kandy Royals

Local Icon: Wanindu Hasaranga
Local Star: Angelo Mathews
Overseas Icon: Moeen Ali
Overseas Star: Vijay Shankar

Pakistan opening batter Sahibzada Farhan has been signed by Dambulla Sixers as their icon player for the upcoming edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026.

The franchise confirmed the signing through an official social media announcement following Farhan’s remarkable performances in the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.

“Icon Player Alert! Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan is locked in for the upcoming LPL season as the Icon Player for Dambulla Sixers,” the franchise stated.

The sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League is scheduled to begin on July 17, with reigning champions Jaffna set to face Galle in the tournament opener at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.

The tournament will run until August 8, and matches will be played across four international venues in Sri Lanka.

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Notably, Farhan has rapidly established himself as one of Pakistan’s most consistent performers in T20 cricket over the past year.

The right-handed batter enjoyed a historic campaign during the T20 World Cup 2026, where he finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer.

The opener amassed 383 runs in seven matches at an impressive average of 76.60 and a strike-rate of 160.25, registering two centuries and two half-centuries during the tournament.

He also became the first batter in history to score two centuries in a single T20 World Cup edition, while surpassing Virat Kohli’s long-standing record for most runs in one edition of the tournament.

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