The road to the sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL 2026) officially kicked off with an intense and highly strategic player draft in Colombo. With more than 650 global cricketers eager to participate, a refined pool of 421 players was presented to the five competing franchises.
The upcoming tournament, scheduled from July 17 to August 18, 2026, will bring high-octane T20 action across three premier venues: Colombo, Dambulla, and Pallekele. This year, the stakes are higher than ever due to groundbreaking tactical rule changes, including the debut of the ‘Impact Substitution’ rule and a mandatory requirement to keep an Under-23 player in the playing XI at all times. This forced franchises to think on their feet, balancing expensive tier selections with indispensable young talent.
Tactical draft signings and financial breakdowns of LPL 2026
The draft structure divided players into distinct financial brackets based on their categories. Master tacticians in the Platinum category commanded the highest value at US$50,000, while Gold and Classic tier players secured US$30,000 and US$20,000, respectively. Associate Stars brought home US$15,000, and the crucial Emerging Under-23 bracket players earned US$10,000.
A flurry of high-profile pre-draft signings set the tone before the event even began. The Kandy Royals made headlines by bringing in veteran anchor Angelo Mathews, spin maestro Wanindu Hasaranga, England’s Moeen Ali, and recently retired Indian all-rounder Vijay Shankar. Meanwhile, Dambulla Sixers locked in local icon Dinesh Chandimal and South African powerhouse Reeza Hendricks. Defending champions SC Jaffna Kings anchored their unit around Bangladesh legend Shakib Al Hasan, while Galle Gallants built momentum by locking in explosive local pacer Eshan Malinga.
LPL 2026: Official team rosters after players draft
Following the final draft picks, the five franchises have structured highly balanced rosters of 18 to 20 players. Here are the complete official squads ready to battle for the 2026 title:
SC Jaffna Kings
Taskin Ahmed, Dunith Wellalage, Shakib Al Hasan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Avishka Fernando, David Wiese, Dilshan Madushanka, Kamil Mishara, Traveen Mathews, Ibrahim Zadran, Mohommed Shiraz, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Nuwanidu Fernando, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lizaad Williams, Dipendra Airee, Kugathas Mathulan, Praveen Manisha, Nishan Madushka.
Colombo Kaps
Ben McDermott, Kamindu Mendis, Jimmy Neesham, Kusal Mendis, Binura Fernando, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Milan Ratnayake, Janith Liyanage, Shahnawaz Dahani, Jeffrey Vandersay, Thanuka Dabare, Movin Subasingha, Mohammed Haris, Hasan Mahmud, Kushal Bhurtel, Malsha Tharupathi, Sharujan Shanmuganathan, Wanuja Sahan, Anthony Pragasam.
Kandy Royals
Vijay Shankar, Angelo Mathews, Moeen Ali, Wanindu Hasaranga, Nuwan Thushara, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Kusal Perera, Asitha Fernando, Garuka Sanketh, Daniel Sams, Vishen Halambage, Muditha Lakshan, Lahiru Udara, Dale Phillips, Zahir Khan, Brandon McMullen, Sahan Mihira, Pawan Sandesh, Dushan Hemantha, Isitha Wijesundera.
Galle Gallants
Litton Das, Eshan Malinga, Rassie Van Der Dussen, Dasun Shanaka, Charith Asalanka, Mohammad Nawaz, Pramod Madushan, Lasith Croospulle, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Akif Javed, Sahan Arachchige, Chamika Karunaratne, Tharindu Rathnayake, Sam Harper, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Haider Ali, Dinura Kalupahana, Uri Koththigoda, Kasun Rajitha, Sachindu Colombage.
Dambulla Sixers
Reeza Hendricks, Dinesh Chandimal, Sahibzada Farhan, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Niroshan Dickwella, Pavan Rathnayake, Akila Dananjaya, Mohammed Wasim, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Ramesh Mendis, Sachitha Jayatilake, Gulbadin Naib, Dian Forrester, Shadley Schalkwyk, Vishva Kumara, Gayana Weerasinghe.
