COLOMBO: Dubai-based sports broadcasting company, Innovative Production Group (IPG), has been awarded ‘total rights’ for Sri Lanka’s upcoming franchise based T20 tournament, Lanka Premier League (LPL), Ceylon Today, quoting a top Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) official, reports.
Indian-owned IPG will own ground, production, franchises and TV rights of the tournament. They will pay $2 million annually for five years to SLC for the said rights, while SLC will only handle venues and umpires, the daily further reported.
Earlier, SLC’s ambitious plan to go ahead with the tournament faced a setback with the Sri Lankan government’s decision to further delay the scheduled opening of the airport, which was set for 1 August.
SLC president Shammi Silva has been quoted in local media as stating that if necessary the board would not hesitate to charter special flights to bring down international players for the tournament.
LPL will feature 23 games to be played at R Premadasa Stadium, Sooriyawewa, Pallekele, and Dambulla. The action will move from venue to venue as the tournament progresses, rather than be played in various venues within the space of a few days as is the case in almost all other leading franchise based T20s tournaments.
The five teams are Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Dambulla and Kandy, but none of these teams will have a base venue, nor will they play most of their games in the city they are named after.
According to Ceylon Today, SLC is now awaiting approval from the Sri Lankan Sports Ministry to go ahead with the LPL.
