Defending champions Jaffna Kings will face Colombo Strikers in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2023 opener on July 30 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. The same was confirmed after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced after the much-awaited schedule for the forthcoming season of the LPL. This year the tournament comprises of 24 matches including the final which is slated to be played on August 20, Sunday.
While the first two matches of the competition this year will be played in Colombo, the action will then shift to Kandy where a number of matches will be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. However, the tournament will return to Colombo for the business end of the league where the knockout phase of the tournament will also be hosted. Moreover, there is also a reserve day )(August 21) in place for the final, in case weather or any other unforeseen circumstances plays spoilsport.
The tournament follows a double round-robin format in which each of the five teams- Jaffna Kings, Colombo Strikers, B-Love Kandy, Dambulla Aura and Galle Titans take on each other twice before the top four teams secure qualification for the Playoffs. The rules of the Playoff stage is similar to that followed in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The teams that finish top two will play Qualifier 1, the third and the fourth team play the Eliminator the winner of which take on the team that loses Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2.
Dilshan Madushanka became the most expensive player bought in the LPL auctions with the three-time winners Jaffna Kings acquiring him for $92,000 in the accelerated round of the bidding war. LPL 2023 Schedule
No. | Date | Matches | Venue | Time |
1. | Sunday, July 30 | Jaffna Kings vs Colombo Strikers | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 7.30 pm |
2. | Monday, July 31 | Galle Titans vs Dambulla Aura | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 3.00 pm |
3. | Monday, July 31 | B-Love Kandy vs Colombo Strikers | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 7.30 pm |
4. | Tuesday, August 01 | Dambulla Aura vs Jaffna Kings | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 3.00 pm |
5. | Tuesday, August 01 | Galle Titans vs B-Love Kandy | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 7.30 pm |
6. | Friday, August 04 | Colombo Strikers vs Galle Titans | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy | 3.00 pm |
7. | Friday, August 04 | Dambulla Aura vs Jaffna Kings | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy | 7.30 pm |
8. | Saturday, August 05 | Galle Titans vs B-Love Kandy | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy | 3.00 pm |
9. | Saturday, August 05 | Jaffna Kings vs Colombo Strikers | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy | 7.30 pm |
10. | Monday, August 07 | B-Love Kandy vs Dambulla Aura | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy | 3.00 pm |
11. | Monday, August 07 | Galle Titans vs Jaffna Kings | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy | 7.30 pm |
12. | Tuesday, August 08 | Colombo Strikers vs Dambulla Aura | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy | 3.00 pm |
13. | Tuesday, August 08 | B-Love Kandy vs Jaffna Kings | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy | 7.30 pm |
14. | Friday, August 11 | Dambulla Aura vs Galle Titans | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 7.30 pm |
15. | Saturday, August 12 | Jaffna Kings vs B-Love Kandy | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 3.00 pm |
16. | Saturday, August 12 | Dambulla Aura vs Colombo Strikers | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 7.30 pm |
17. | Sunday, August 13 | Jaffna Kings vs Galle Titans | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 3.00 pm |
18. | Sunday, August 13 | Colombo Strikers vs B-Love Kandy | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 7.30 pm |
19. | Monday, August 14 | B-Love Kandy vs Dambulla Aura | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 7.30 pm |
20. | Tuesday, August 15 | Colombo Strikers vs Galle Titans | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 7.30 pm |
21. | Thursday, August 17 | Qualifier 1 (1 vs 2) | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 3.30 pm |
22 | Thursday, August 17 | Eliminator (3 vs 4) | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 7.30 pm |
23. | Saturday, August 19 | Qualifier 2 (loser QF1 vs winner El) | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 7.30 pm |
24. | Sunday, August 20 | Final | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 7.30 pm |
Monday, August 21 | Rain Reserve Day, Final | R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo | 7.30 pm |