LPL hit by match fixing allegations before a ball was bowled

Saturday, 18 July 2026 05:49 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) which began at the SSC grounds yesterday was hit by match fixing allegations even before a ball was bowled when Manjot Kalra, co-owner of Jaffna Kings was arrested by the Police over an alleged match-fixing approach made to a player.

The arrest was carried out by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) for the Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports on Thursday night, just hours before the opening match of the 2026 LPL season.

According to Police, Kalra, a former India Under19 World Cup winning cricketer was arrested at a five-star hotel in Colombo while allegedly attempting to pay Rs. 9.5 million (approx. $28,700) to a player to influence the outcome of a match.

Police said the player had first reported the alleged approach around 10 days ago, prompting an investigation that led to the arrest. Kalra is expected to be produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.

Kalra was part of India’s victorious squad at the 2018 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup that featured future international stars including captain Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Mavi.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Cricket in a media statement said:

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has taken note of the media reports relating to the reported arrest of the owner of the Jaffna Kings franchise by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) for the Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports.

Sri Lanka Cricket, together with the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026, will extend its fullest cooperation to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) for the Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports should any assistance be sought in connection with any inquiry arising from the matter.

As the governing body of the Lanka Premier League 2026, Sri Lanka Cricket reiterates its unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of the tournament and will not tolerate any form of corruption, misconduct, or foul play by any stakeholder associated with the league.

Sri Lanka Cricket also wishes to inform the public that the Lanka Premier League 2026, which commenced yesterday evening at the SSC Grounds, Colombo, will proceed as planned without any interruption.

Sri Lanka Cricket has taken all necessary measures to ensure that the Lanka Premier League 2026 is conducted in accordance with the highest ethical and integrity standards. In preparation for the tournament, Sri Lanka Cricket’s Anti-Corruption Unit has been working closely with the Government’s law enforcement agency, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) for the Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports, to strengthen the league’s anti-corruption framework.

In addition, Sri Lanka Cricket has engaged Integrity Mentors, an independent anti-corruption and sports integrity organization to provide specialist integrity support and education throughout the tournament, ensuring that the Lanka Premier League 2026 is conducted in a fair, transparent, and corruption-free environment.

Sri Lanka Cricket has a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and unethical practices and will ensure that all necessary steps are taken to safeguard the integrity of the Lanka Premier League 2026 and ensure that the tournament is conducted with the utmost dignity and integrity.