Lanka Premier League 2021 to commence on July 30

After enduring a plethora of roadblocks, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) managed to host the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) in a November-December window last year, and the tournament turned out to be a huge success. The likes of overseas superstars such as Andre Russell and Shoaib Malik and local icons such as Angelo Mathews, Suranga Lakmal and Kusal Perera partook in the tournament and the competition ran smootly without enduring any roadblocks.

All matches were held without hassle at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Hambantota and the competition was eventually won by Jaffna Stallions, who were led by the now-retired Thisara Perera.

Following the success of the inaugural edition, plans are underway to host the second edition and, according to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), it is likely that the tournament will take place in a July-August window. 

"We have found a suitable window to hold this year's edition, whilst we are currently working on finalising the other details of the tournament," said Arjuna de Silva, the chairman of the management committee at the SLC, in a release.

"Sri Lanka Cricket will assess the country's situation and discuss with the Ministry of Health closer to the tournament to ascertain the health situation in the country prior to taking a final decision on the competition.”

As things stand, it is highly likely that the second edition of the LPL, too, will be played behind closed doors.