LPL season 3 to begin on December 6

The rescheduled Lanka Premier League will begin on December 6, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced on Friday, with the tournament broken down into three stages. 

The opening stage, spanning the first five games, will take place in Hambantota, before the teams travel to Kandy, for the next nine matches. 

The final six group stage matches, the playoffs and final will be played at the R. Premedasa Stadium, with the tournament concluding on December 23. 

With this year’s edition clashing with the Big Bash League in Australia and the inaugural South African T20 League, several overseas players already drafted by LPL teams would now be unavailable. 

“We will allow teams to sign replacement players for the overseas players who will now miss out, but after seeking SLC approval, to ensure they fit within the guidelines,” Tournament Director of the LPL Samantha Dodanwela told the Daily Mirror.  

While there will be no changes to local players already drafted by the respective franchises, teams will be allowed to sign two more local players. 

“There were several local players who were not picked at the draft because they were injured at the time but will now be available for the LPL. We want to give them an opportunity to be picked now by franchises,” Dodanwela added.    

In the case of players who were let go by certain franchises due to injury, like in the case of Avishka Fernando, who was let go by the Jaffna franchise after he underwent knee surgery, their previous teams will have the right of first refusal. 

“We will give the opportunity for them to be re-signed by their previous franchises, if not they will be eligible for any other team,” he added.