Controversial Social Media Follower Rule Scrapped by Lanka Premier League

The Lanka Premier League recently faced significant criticism for a new rule that linked player categories to their social media follower counts. This rule, which required players to have over 250,000 followers to qualify for higher payment categories, was quickly retracted by Sri Lanka Cricket after public backlash. The league's own Instagram account has fewer than 100,000 followers, raising eyebrows about the rule's validity. With the payment structure now revised, players in various categories will earn different amounts, and foreign players must register by May 18 to participate in the upcoming season, expected to start in late July.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 10, 2026, 00:11 IST

Introduction to the Controversy

In various countries, franchise-based T20 leagues are held, and the Lanka Premier League (LPL) is no exception. Recently, the sixth season of the LPL faced significant backlash due to a new rule concerning player registration that was announced on May 9. This rule stipulated that players with over 250,000 social media followers would qualify for the Icon and Star categories, leading to widespread criticism of Sri Lanka Cricket.

Sri Lanka Cricket Withdraws the Follower Rule

Following the intense criticism, Sri Lanka Cricket decided to retract the controversial follower-based rule and reinstated the previous regulations, as reported by NewsWire. Under the now-removed rule, players needed to have 250,000 followers to be classified as Icon players. Additionally, foreign players were required to have played at least 75 T20 international matches and 100 franchise matches, along with a minimum of 30 matches in the last 18 months to qualify for the Icon category.

LPL's Own Social Media Following

Interestingly, the Lanka Premier League's official Instagram account has fewer than 100,000 followers, highlighting the irony of the situation. For the sixth season, Sri Lanka Cricket has also revised the payment structure for players in different categories. Icon and Star players will now earn between $60,000 and $80,000, while those in the Platinum category will receive a maximum of $50,000. Players in the Gold and Classic categories will earn $30,000 and $20,000, respectively. Foreign players must register by May 18 to participate, with the sixth season expected to commence at the end of July.