The Lanka Premier League has set an odd benchmark ahead of its sixth season. Instead of categorizing players purely on their pedigree and T20 ability, the league has decided to bring social media popularity and commercial appeal into the equation as well.
Under the latest player rules issued by the league, overseas cricketers hoping to break into the top Icon category will now need more than a cricket credential. Players are required to have appeared in at least 75 T20Is, played more than 100 franchise T20 matches and appeared in 30 games in the last 18 months. In addition, the league also ordered more than 250,000 people to follow on social media.
The same social media threshold was used for the Star category as well. Players in this group must have played in at least 50 T20Is, played more than 100 franchise T20 games and appeared in at least 30 matches in the last 18 months, while maintaining more than 250,000 followers across social platforms.
WHEN INSTAGRAM TAKES CRICKET
For the Gold category, the criteria were slightly relaxed. Players must have played at least 30 T20Is, more than 75 franchise T20 matches and 20 matches in the last 18 months. But even they have to pass a measure of popularity, with the league requiring a social media following of more than 150,000.
Even the guidelines for the classical categories include non-cricket considerations. Apart from needing 20 T20Is, more than 50 franchise appearances and 20 recent matches, players also need to demonstrate “adequate fan base and commercial appeal”, according to the regulations.
The move represents one of the few examples of a franchise cricket league formally integrating the influence of social media into player classification rules, highlighting the growing importance of marketability in modern T20 cricket.
What makes this rule particularly odd is that the Lanka Premier League’s own social media pages have remained largely inactive since 2024. Sri Lankan cricket has also historically not exactly encouraged players to aggressively build their online brands.
The regulation therefore feels less like an innovation and more like a pursuit of the league’s visibility. Especially for a tournament whose following on Instagram remains below 100 thousand.
The regulations further state that all overseas players must have either represented their national team or played in recognized T20 tournaments, including leagues organized by Full Member Boards, International League T20 or Major League Cricket, within the last 12 months. Retired local players were deemed ineligible to participate.
Under the new salary structure for Season 6, Icon and Star players will be in the $60,000-$80,000 range, Platinum players will earn $50,000, Gold players will earn $30,000, and Classic players will earn $20,000.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
09 May 2026 01:40 IST
