The 2026 Lanka Premier League (LPL) has been overshadowed by a match-fixing controversy before the first ball has been bowled, with Jaffna Kings co-owner and former India Under-19 World Cup final centurion, Manjot Kalra, arrested hours before the season opener.
Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed it was aware of the reports, and said it would extend its "fullest cooperation" to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) for the Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports if required. The board also reiterated its commitment to protecting the integrity of the tournament, adding that the LPL would go ahead as scheduled.
According to reports, Kalra was arrested at a hotel in Colombo over allegations of attempting to bribe players. A player first reported the approach around 10 days earlier, while two others had also allegedly been contacted. Kalra is accused of attempting to pay LKR 9.5 million to influence a player.
The 26-year-old is best known for his unbeaten 101 in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup final, which guided India to the title against Australia. Earlier this year, Kalra and entrepreneur Mayank Goel acquired the Jaffna Kings franchise through Sports Commune ahead of the 2026 season.
The incident is the latest in a series of corruption-related controversies involving LPL franchise owners. In 2024, Dambulla Thunders owner Tamim Rahman was arrested and later convicted after attempting to influence a player, while Galle Marvels co-owner Prem Thakkur was jailed later that year over a direct match-fixing approach. The league has also been embroiled in criminal investigations, contractual breaches or financial discrepancies.
Sri Lanka's anti-corruption efforts are backed by the Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports Act, introduced in 2019, which criminalises match-fixing, spot-fixing and failures to report corrupt approaches.
Despite the arrest, SLC confirmed that the opening fixture between Jaffna Kings and Galle Gallants in Colombo would proceed as planned.
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