The sixth season of the Lanka Premier League 2026 (LPL) returns to the cricketing calendar this year after a one-season gap, running from July 17 to August 8, 2026. The tournament was originally meant to take place earlier in the year but was pushed back to give Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) enough time to prepare venues for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, which was co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February–March.
Five franchises will battle it out this season: Jaffna Kings, Galle Gallants, Colombo Kaps, Dambulla Sixers and Kandy Royals. The teams will play a double round-robin league phase, followed by a playoff stage, taking the total match count for the tournament to 24.
Table of Contents
Tournament Opener
The season kicks off on July 17 with a rematch of the previous final — Jaffna Kings, the reigning champions, face off against Galle Gallants (formerly known as Galle Marvels) at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo.
Venues and Phases
The tournament will move across four venues in Sri Lanka over its three-and-a-half week run:
- Colombo (SSC): July 17–19 — hosts the opening five matches
- Dambulla: July 21–26 — nine matches
- Pallekele International Cricket Stadium: July 28–August 2 — six matches
- Colombo (R Premadasa Stadium): August 5–8 — playoffs and final
Match Timings
Matches this season will be played in two windows:
- Afternoon fixtures: 3:00 PM local time
- Evening fixtures: 7:30 PM local time
Playoff Schedule
The knockout stage runs from August 5 to August 8 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo:
- August 5: Qualifier 1 (3:00 PM) and Eliminator (7:30 PM)
- August 7: Qualifier 2 (7:30 PM)
- August 8: Final (7:30 PM), with a reserve day set for August 9
Full Match Schedule
| Match | Date | Fixture | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 17 | Galle Gallants vs Jaffna Kings | 7:30 PM | Colombo (SSC) |
| 2 | July 18 | Dambulla Sixers vs Kandy Royals | 3:00 PM | Colombo (SSC) |
| 3 | July 18 | Colombo Kaps vs Galle Gallants | 7:30 PM | Colombo (SSC) |
| 4 | July 19 | Dambulla Sixers vs Jaffna Kings | 3:00 PM | Colombo (SSC) |
| 5 | July 19 | Colombo Kaps vs Kandy Royals | 7:30 PM | Colombo (SSC) |
| 6 | July 21 | Dambulla Sixers vs Kandy Royals | 7:30 PM | Dambulla |
| 7 | July 22 | Colombo Kaps vs Jaffna Kings | 3:00 PM | Dambulla |
| 8 | July 22 | Dambulla Sixers vs Galle Gallants | 7:30 PM | Dambulla |
| 9 | July 23 | Colombo Kaps vs Kandy Royals | 3:00 PM | Dambulla |
| 10 | July 23 | Galle Gallants vs Jaffna Kings | 7:30 PM | Dambulla |
| 11 | July 25 | Galle Gallants vs Kandy Royals | 3:00 PM | Dambulla |
| 12 | July 25 | Dambulla Sixers vs Colombo Kaps | 7:30 PM | Dambulla |
| 13 | July 26 | Jaffna Kings vs Kandy Royals | 3:00 PM | Dambulla |
| 14 | July 26 | Dambulla Sixers vs Galle Gallants | 7:30 PM | Dambulla |
| 15 | July 28 | Colombo Kaps vs Jaffna Kings | 7:30 PM | Pallekele |
| 16 | July 29 | Kandy Royals vs Galle Gallants | 3:00 PM | Pallekele |
| 17 | July 29 | Colombo Kaps vs Dambulla Sixers | 7:30 PM | Pallekele |
| 18 | July 30 | Kandy Royals vs Jaffna Kings | 7:30 PM | Pallekele |
| 19 | Aug 1 | Colombo Kaps vs Galle Gallants | 7:30 PM | Pallekele |
| 20 | Aug 2 | Dambulla Sixers vs Jaffna Kings | 7:30 PM | Pallekele |
| 21 | Aug 5 | Qualifier 1 | 3:00 PM | Colombo (RPS) |
| 22 | Aug 5 | Eliminator | 7:30 PM | Colombo (RPS) |
| 23 | Aug 7 | Qualifier 2 | 7:30 PM | Colombo (RPS) |
| 24 | Aug 8 | Final | 7:30 PM | Colombo (RPS) |
(Reserve day for the final: August 9)
New Playing Conditions for LPL 2026
This edition introduces a couple of notable rule changes:
- The Impact Player rule will be used for the first time in LPL history, allowing teams to make a tactical substitution during a match.
- Every franchise must field at least one Under-23 Sri Lankan player in its playing XI at all times — a rule that stays in effect even after an Impact Player substitution, aimed at giving young domestic talent more game time.
Why the Delay?
LPL 2025 was cancelled altogether so that SLC could focus resources on upgrading venues ahead of the T20 World Cup. With that global event now behind them, Sri Lanka Cricket has brought the domestic T20 league back for its sixth edition, giving fans a month of franchise cricket before the season wraps up in Colombo.
Schedule, venues and timings are subject to change; fans are advised to check official LPL channels closer to match dates for the latest updates.
