![LPL 2026 franchise owner arrested in Sri Lanka [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1784271682785_LPL_2026.jpg?type=hq)
LPL 2026 franchise owner arrested in Sri Lanka [Source: AFP]
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has received a major jolt ahead of the upcoming sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL). A co-owner of one of the five LPL franchises has been arrested by the Special Investigation Unit of Sri Lanka Police in Sri Lanka.
The co-owner in question was arrested over alleged match-fixing offenses in the LPL. The Sri Lankan authorities have confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing, thus putting a major dent on SLC’s esteemed LPL just before the 2026 edition of the tournament.
LPL 2026 defending champions co-owner arrested
As reported by News Wire, a co-owner of the LPL 2026 franchise, defending champions Jaffna Kings , has been arrested by the Sri Lanka Police Special Investigation Unit for the Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports.
The arrest was made on Friday, July 17, mere hours prior to the launch of the LPL 2026 season in Sri Lanka.
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The police authorities have taken the Jaffna Kings co-owner into custody as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged sports corruption and match-fixing. It is worth noting that Sri Lanka has some of the strictest anti-corruption laws in sports.
Who owns Jaffna Kings?
Jaffna Kings franchise has had several owners over the years since it made its debut back in the inaugural LPL edition in 2020 under the moniker, Jaffna Stallions.
As of now, the Kings franchise is owned by an Indian sports management company, Sports Commune. The company acquired stakes in the franchise just a couple of months ago, and it is led by Manjot Kalra and Mayank Goel.
Interestingly, Kalra is a former Indian cricket who helped the ‘Boys in Blue’ lift the 2018 ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. The cricketer scored an unbeaten century in the final against Australia U19 to be adjudged ‘Player of the Match’. He was teammates with Prithvi Shaw, current national captain Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma and Riyan Parag in the tournament.
Update - After several reports, it is now confirmed that the arrested individual was none other than Manjot Kalra himself. The report indicates that Kalra had allegedly made a match-fixing approach to one of the players before the LPL 2026 season.
Jaffna Kings to enter LPL 2026 as defending champions
Off-field legal controversy aside, the Jaffna Kings franchise is set to enter the upcoming LPL 2026 season in Sri Lanka as defending champions. The franchise lifted the LPL 2024 title a couple of years ago, thus extending its LPL dominance to four trophies in five seasons.
As per the official schedule as unveiled by the SLC, the Kings will be taking on Galle Gallants in the opening match of the tournament on Friday, July 17. The match will be hosted by the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Colombo and the action is slated to commence from 7:30 PM IST onwards.
The team will be led by hard-hitting Sri Lankan batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and he will be accompanied by several star attractions like Shakib Al Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Sandeep Lamicchane, Avishka Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Ibrahim Zadran, David Wiese among several others.
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