Ahead of the sixth edition of the tournament, the Lanka Premier League (LPL) has received more than 650 overseas player registrations from across 21 cricketing nations. The draft for the 2026 season will take place on June 1, while the tournament itself is scheduled to run from July 17 to August 8.
What stands out is the scale of registrations despite the league recently introducing one of the strangest eligibility systems seen in franchise cricket.
Pakistan has contributed the highest number of overseas registrations, with 102 players signing up. The West Indies follows with 75 players, South Africa with 66, Bangladesh with 48 and New Zealand with 41. Australia has 24 registrations, England 15, Ireland 16 and even India has 12 players in the pool.
Among Associate nations, players from the USA and UAE make up a large chunk of entries.
But not everyone will make the cut. The LPL has confirmed that only 310 players will eventually be shortlisted for the draft after the screening process.
Overseas LPL registrations by country
CountryPlayers RegisteredPakistan102West Indies75South Africa66Bangladesh48New Zealand41Australia24Ireland16England15India12The social media rule that made everyone talk
The massive registration count becomes even more fascinating when viewed alongside the LPL’s newly introduced social media-based player classification system.
Earlier this month, the league officially added follower count as part of overseas player eligibility criteria. In short, cricketing reputation alone is no longer enough for the top player categories.
For a player to qualify for the top-tier “Icon” category, the requirements now include:
75 or more T20Is 100+ franchise T20 appearances 30 matches in the last 18 months More than 250,000 social media followersThe same follower benchmark applies to the “Star” category too.
Even the “Gold” category requires players to have at least 150,000 followers online. Meanwhile, the “Classic” category mentions “reasonable fan base and commercial appeal” as part of the selection criteria.
LPL overseas player category rules
CategoryCricket RequirementSocial Media RequirementIcon75+ T20Is, 100+ franchise T20s250,000+ followersStar50+ T20Is, 100+ franchise T20s250,000+ followersGold30+ T20Is, 75+ franchise T20s150,000+ followersClassic20+ T20Is, 50+ franchise T20s“Commercial appeal”The move appears to show how modern franchise leagues increasingly value digital engagement, branding and sponsorship pull. A player with millions of followers can often generate more visibility for teams and broadcasters than a lesser-known cricketer with stronger domestic numbers.
Lanka Premier League (LPL) winners list
Season WinnerRunner-upResult2024Jaffna KingsGalle MarvelsJaffna Kings won by 9 wickets2023B-Love KandyDambulla AuraB-Love Kandy won by 5 wickets2022Jaffna KingsColombo StarsJaffna Kings won by 2 wickets2021Jaffna KingsGalle GladiatorsJaffna Kings won by 23 runs2020Jaffna StallionsGalle GladiatorsJaffna Stallions won by 53 runsLanka Premier League sees 650 overseas player registration after bizarre social media rule Inside Sport India.
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