Colombo, May 23 (IANS) The sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League has generated massive international interest, with more than 650 overseas cricketers registering for the tournament ahead of the player draft scheduled for June 1.

“More than 650 overseas players have registered for the sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026. Players from all ICC Full Member nations, as well as several Associate Member countries, are among those registered for the tournament,” Sri Lanka cricket said in a statement on Saturday.

Among the Full Member nations, Pakistan recorded the highest number of registrations with 102 players, followed by the West Indies with 75 and South Africa with 66. Bangladesh contributed 48 registrations, while New Zealand had 41 players sign up for the draft pool. There were also 24 registrations from Australia, 15 from England and 12 players from India.

Among Associate nations, the highest number of registrations came from the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Ireland. Overall, players from 21 cricketing nations have entered the registration process.

Tournament officials, however, confirmed that only 310 players will be shortlisted for the final draft following the screening process. The player draft for LPL 2026 will take place on June 1, with the tournament scheduled to run from July 17 to August 8.

Meanwhile, SLC already announced the opening fixture of the tournament, with defending champions Jaffna Kings set to face runners-up Galle Marvels in the season opener at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on July 17.

The tournament, originally planned for December 2025 before being rescheduled due to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, will feature 24 matches across four venues: Colombo, Kandy, and Dambulla.

Five franchises will compete in a double round-robin format before the top four teams progress to the playoffs, culminating in the final on August 8.

–IANS

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