The Lanka Premier League (LPL) was hit by controversy hours before the opening of the 2026 season after local media reported that the owner of the Jaffna Kings team was arrested by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) for the prevention of sports-related offences. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) released a statement on Friday afternoon saying it would cooperate fully with the investigation.
“Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has taken note of media reports regarding the arrest of the Jaffna Kings franchise owner by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) for the Prevention of Offenses Related to Sports,” the SLC said in a statement. “Sri Lanka Cricket along with the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 will extend full cooperation to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) for the prevention of offenses related to the sport if any assistance is requested in connection with any investigation arising in this matter.
“As the governing body of the 2026 Lanka Premier League, Sri Lanka Cricket reaffirms its unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of the tournament and will not tolerate any form of corruption, misconduct or unfair play from any stakeholders associated with the league.”
Ahead of the 2026 LPL season, Jaffna Kings ownership has been taken over by Sports Commune, which is co-owned by entrepreneur Mayank Goel and former India Under-19 international Manjot Kalra.
While tournament officials hailed the quick arrest as a triumph for Sri Lanka’s legal system, there will be scrutiny of the league’s seemingly lax ownership vetting process.
IPG, the owner of LPL’s commercial rights, released a statement on Friday saying: “IPG wishes to reiterate that all franchise owners participating in the LPL have undergone the required ownership approval process, including integrity and due diligence assessments conducted by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in consultation with the International Cricket Council (ICC), prior to their participation in the tournament.”
LPL franchise owners have previously been detained under anti-corruption laws twice in just over two years. In May 2024, Dambulla Thunders team owner Tamim Rahman was intercepted at Colombo International Airport and later convicted. Seven months later, Galle Marvels co-owner Prem Thakkur was jailed for directly approaching a player in match-fixing.
By the start of the 2026 season, none of the five original LPL franchises remained with the founding owners. Each team has transferred ownership multiple times due to criminal charges, financial instability or failure to fulfill contractual obligations. The constant change of ownership has raised questions about the due diligence carried out by SLC and its events rights holder, The IPG Group.
However, LPL tournament director Samantha Dodanwela tried to portray the quick intervention as evidence of strict and relentless internal security measures. “We have zero tolerance,” Dodanwela told Cricinfo. “Whether it’s before the tournament or in the middle, when we discover something, we have to take action. We are the only country that has a law that allows us to arrest. If you take any other country, if something like this happens, it will go to the ICC and then it will take years and years.”
The SLC highlighted the measures it has taken to combat corruption at its flagship domestic tournament. “In preparation for the tournament, Sri Lanka Cricket’s anti-corruption unit has been working closely with the government’s enforcement agency, the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) for the prevention of sports-related offences, to strengthen the system against corruption in the league.
“In addition, Sri Lanka Cricket has engaged Integrity Mentors, an independent anti-corruption and sporting integrity organization, to provide dedicated support and integrity training throughout the tournament, ensuring that the 2026 Lanka Premier League will be conducted in a fair, transparent and corruption-free environment.”
Dodanwela and SLC’s defense relies heavily on the unique strength of Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Sports-related Offenses Act, a law passed in 2019 that criminalizes match-fixing, match-fixing and failure to report corrupt practices.
Despite reports of an arrest that occurred the day before the LPL season opened, SLC assured participants that the tournament would not be disrupted. Jaffna Kings will take on Galle Gallants in the opening match of the season at SSC Colombo on Friday evening.
“Sri Lanka Cricket would also like to inform the public that the 2026 Lanka Premier League, scheduled to begin tonight at the SSC Grounds in Colombo, will proceed as planned without any interruption.”