SLC announces the launch of a new T20 League

Former world T20 Champions Sri Lanka haven’t been as successful as some other cricket playing nations to host eye-catching Twenty20 leagues but they haven’t given up either. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced the launch of a new T20 league and it will commence on August 21.

It will comprise of four teams – Colombo, Dambulla, Galle and Kandy and each team will face the challenge of other three teams twice. After the league stage, the top two sides will advance to the final which will be played on R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on September 2.

SLC releases an official statement

SLC released an official statement regarding the launch of the T20 league and also revealed the format of the competition. The players from the national team will also participate in the tournament with the series against South Africa set to end on August 14.

“All the Nationally contracted players, contracted Domestic players and promising U19 players are set to take part in the tournament, which will be played at venues such as, the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium and Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium,” the statement read. All the matches of the T20 league will be day-night affairs with two matches scheduled to play daily.

Sri Lanka’s earlier attempts to have its own T20 league haven’t clicked as the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) was scrapped no less than two times in the past, paving way for a short domestic Twenty20 competition. The board failed to gather adequate commercial interest around the tournament, seeing it failing to materialise even after years since its announcement.

Its most dramatic fall came in 2013 when each franchise was terminated since they failed to pay the participation fee just weeks before the first ball was scheduled to be bowled. SLC later planned to put into place a more lucrative business model alongside Somerset Entertainment Ventures from Hong Kong but yet it did not taste success.

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