by Staff Writer

“Sri Lanka Cricket Executive Committee at the meeting held today (27th July) granted approval to conduct the inaugural Lanka Premier League T20 Tournament from 28th August to 20th September 2020,” SLC said in a statement.

would be held at four venues across the country,

The tournament will be played on the “four international venues of R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Rangiri Dambulu International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and Suriyawewa Mahinda Rajapakse International Cricket Stadium. A total of 23 matches scheduled to be played across 5 teams named after the cities of Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna.

The Board said that “over 70 International players and 10 top-notch coaches have already confirmed their availability for the tournament along with leading Sri Lankan national players.” And each franchise will be allowed to pick a maximum of six foreign players in the squad with only four in the final eleven.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan could be one of the biggest attractions in the inaugural Lanka Premier League (LPL), According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, Pathan, who announced his retirement in January this year, will now be "put in a player draft unless one of the five franchises choose him to be a marquee player."

SLC, which had conceived the league in 2018, was earlier optimistic of conducting the event from August 8 to 22, pending government’s decision to open the country’s border for foreign arrivals.