COLOMBO: The Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2022 will commence on December 6, 2022, in Hambantota with the inaugural game scheduled to be played between defending champions Jaffna and Galle at 3:00 PM. The first round of the tournament, which will consist of 20 games, will be played in Hambantota before it moves to Kandy and then Colombo. The final round of games will also be played at the RPICS in Colombo. The final of the League will be played on December 23 at the RPICS, Colombo whilst Qualifier 1 and Eliminator will take place on December 21. There is no break for the teams and players in the knockout round as Qualifier 2 will be played on December 22. The Lanka Premier League 2022, which is Sri Lanka’s topmost domestic tournament, with an international flavor, will consist of 24 games and will see the participation of the topmost domestic and international cricketers. The upcoming edition of the tournament will see the participation of a number of star international cricketers. The names include Evin Lewis, Carlos Brathwaite, Janneman Malan, Dwaine Pretorius, D’Arcy Short, and Shoaib Malik, among several other players. “The appetite for cricket in Sri Lanka is huge and we are bringing the best of cricketing action to our fans in Sri Lanka. With the Lanka Premier League, we want to provide some high-energy T20 cricket throughout December. Sri Lankan Cricket has always produced many world-class players and the inclusion of top international cricketers like Evin Lewis, Carlos Brathwaite, and Janneman Malan among others is contributing to the growth and popularity of Lanka Premier League in the subcontinent. I am sure that the third edition will be a success like the last two seasons,” said Anil Mohan, Founder and CEO of IPG, the official promoter of LPL. The Final Round Games will see the top two teams in the points table playing qualifier 1, whilst the 3rd and 4th placed teams on the table play in the ‘Eliminator.’ The winner of ‘Qualifier 1’ will directly go into the finals, whilst the loser of ‘Qualifier 1’ will play against the winner of the ‘Eliminator’ in ‘Qualifier 2’, and the winner of that game will go into the finals. It is pertinent to mention that the LPL, which had been slated to begin in August, was postponed in July because of the economic situation in Sri Lanka. A draft had been held, foreign players supposedly secured, and preparations were underway for the tournament to be held. However, problems with securing adequate sponsorship and cooling franchise interest have led to the postponement. “This decision was taken by the SLC, following a request made by the Innovative Production Group FZE (IPG), the rights-holder of the tournament, which cited the current ‘economic situation,’ in the country, as not conducive to hosting the tournament,” a board release had said in July. Even in more favourable economic conditions, however, the league has had problems with funding. It had had little continuity since its outset, with last year’s tournament seeing only two of the original five franchise owners returning. Both the 2020 and 2021 LPL tournaments, had been popular among fans and had helped uncover fresh talent for the national team.