Lanka to stage T10 league in February
With the Lanka Premier League (LPL) being held successfully, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is now planning to host a national T10 league in February next year.
The dates have been fixed for February 1-12. The SLC has already called for tenders over event rights. However, the Executive Committee on Friday granted one more week for interest parties to submit their expression of interest.
The details of the tournament are yet to be finalised but the board is confident of conducting it in February.
“Yes, the T10 tournament is on the cards,” said Vice-President Raveen Wickremaratne. “It’s a new concept and we have found a window in February soon after the England series to play it.” Sri Lanka will play a two-match Test series against England in January with matches to be played at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.
According to the EOI published in their website, the proposed specification for the tournament will see 17 or 29 games taking place in a double round-robin format, followed by the semi-finals and the finals. Five or six teams are expected to feature with each team comprising16 players, including a maximum of six foreign internationals.
The matches are expected to be played at R. Premadasa, Dambulla and Pallekele international cricket stadiums. Though there were multiple challenges to overcome, SLC managed to pull off the Lanka Premier League – a national T20 league with the participation several foreign players providing a platform for the local stars to show their talents to an international audience.