The dates of the sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) in 2025 will be held from November 27 to December 23, as it will take place in three venues- Colombo, Kandy, and Dambulla. This is the fourth time in those six years that the T20 competition will be played for the November-December window rather than its July-August slot.

The last two editions were played in November, but with the T20 World Cup 2026 starting in February, the SLC board has found this window best. There had been discussions of a new and sixth side to be added in the competition, along with the sides of Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Dambulla, and Jaffa. There had been talks of the sixth side. However, the board has taken a cautious approach as the LPL has struggled for long-term ownership over the years.

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‘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. Potential owners for a sixth team are currently being vetted.’ Samantha Dodanwela, the director of the tournament, expressed.

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Earlier this year, Jaffna Kings and the Colombo Strikers were terminated by the board for their failure to uphold the contractual obligations. New owners for both these sides are yet to be announced. Dodanwela has aimed to prepare for batting-friendly surfaces, to prepare for the upcoming home T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India.

‘We were quite happy with the wickets during the last edition, particularly in Dambulla and Kandy. 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 harder.’ He revealed.

The generation surfaces have been a topic in the shortest format as the national side lost their recent three-match home series against Bangladesh. Due to the slot, the tournament is expected to clash with several other franchise leagues- SA20, BBL, and ILT20. That will make it a challenge to attract the top-class T20 players around the world. Both SA20 and ILT20, after all, have their partnerships with many IPL franchises.