Sri Lanka Cricket Postpones 2025 Lanka Premier League

 

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has decided to postpone the 2025 edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL). The decision was taken to prioritize preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India in February and March 2026.

According to the International Cricket Council (ICC) guidelines, all host venues for the global tournament — which will feature 20 teams — must meet the highest international standards. SLC stated that postponing the LPL will allow more time to upgrade and prepare the stadiums ahead of the World Cup.

The focus, SLC added, will be on improving infrastructure to meet global expectations: upgrading player facilities, enhancing broadcast capabilities, and strengthening media and press center resources.

At present, renovation work is ongoing at three international stadiums across the island. Development work at the R. Premadasa Stadium (RPS) in Colombo, which was temporarily halted to accommodate 11 matches of the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, will resume immediately after that tournament concludes.

The postponed tournament would have been the sixth edition of the LPL, originally scheduled to begin on December 1, 2025. A total of 24 matches were planned across Colombo, Kandy, and Dambulla, featuring five teams that were set to play each other twice during the league stage.

Sri Lanka Cricket emphasized that the strategic decision aims to ensure world-class facilities for the T20 World Cup and to fully equip Sri Lankan venues for major international events. The board also confirmed that plans are in place to reschedule the LPL to a more suitable future date.