Sri Lanka Premier League to kick-off 10 August

MUMBAI: The inaugural season of Sri Lanka Premier League will be held from 10-31 August at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka Cricket has announced.

The first edition of SLPL Twenty20 will feature seven provincial teams who will play a total of 24 matches with a compulsory ruling of no more than six overseas players in each squad.

However, teams can field only four overseas players in the playing eleven, while the remaining seven players will be Sri Lankans, with one player mandatorily being an under-21 cricketer.

"Twenty20?s massive popularity and status as the most exciting and entertaining format of cricket will be further enhanced by this newest tournament to the world of cricket. International players will be playing in the SLPL alongside Sri Lankan national cricketers and young Lankan hopefuls," SLC said in a media statement.

The seven teams for SLPL are Basnahira Bears, Kandurata Kites, Nagenahira Nagas, Ruhuna Rhinos, Uthura Oryxes, Uva Unicorns, and Wayamba Wolves.

"Each team shall draw elements of its unique branding/personality from the province it represents," the statement added.

The names of the respective Sri Lankan icon players for each province will be released shortly.

All the matches of SLPL will be televised live, with Carlton Sports Network broadcasting the matches in the home market of Sri Lanka. CSN is reportedly owned by family members of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president of Sri Lanka.

The tournament, which was expected to kick-off last year, had to be postponed at the last minute due to non-participation of Indian players, a key factor for the commercial success of the tournament.

SLC had recently signed a new 15-year commercial deal with Somerset Singapore-based Somerset Entertainment Ventures for the league, after the interim committee of SLC was replaced with a new one.