LPL 2025 set for November-December window, sixth team under consideration

The sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) is scheduled to take place from November 27 to December 23, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed on Friday.

This will be the fourth time in six seasons that the tournament is held during the November-December window, instead of its usual July-August schedule. Organisers believe this timing will help players prepare better for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to begin in February.

"The idea to conduct the LPL during this time frame is aimed at aligning the tournament with the ICC men's T20 World Cup 2026," said LPL tournament director Samantha Dodanwela.

Meanwhile, discussions are ongoing to expand the tournament by adding a sixth team. The league has so far featured five franchises representing Jaffna, Colombo, Kandy, Galle, and Dambulla.

"Potential owners for a sixth team are currently being vetted," Dodanwela told a cricket news website.

The LPL 2025 matches will be held across Sri Lanka’s top three international venues – Rana Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, and Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium.

Dodanwela also shared the board’s intention to provide better batting surfaces for the upcoming season, to help players gear up for the T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

"We were quite happy with the wickets during the last edition, particularly in Dambulla and Kandy," he said. 

"We saw lots of high scores and even some centuries during that portion of the tournament. It was only in Colombo where batting was a little hard," he concluded.