No Instagram followers, no contract: LPL’s new eligibility rule sparks debate

The Lanka Premier League has introduced a social media-based eligibility rule ahead of its 2026 edition, mandating minimum follower counts for players, a move that has sparked debate over the growing influence of commercial appeal in cricket.

According to a report by Sri Lanka’s Newswire, players will only qualify for the Icon category, both local and overseas, if they have more than 250,000 followers on social media. In addition to this requirement, players must have featured in at least 75 T20 internationals, played over 100 franchise T20 matches, and appeared in a minimum of 30 matches over the past 18 months.

The Star category carries the same social media threshold of over 250,000 followers. In cricketing terms, eligibility requires at least 50 T20 internationals, more than 100 franchise T20 appearances, and a minimum of 30 matches in the last 18 months.

Players selected under the Icon and Star categories are set to receive fees ranging between USD 60,000 and USD 80,000.

For the Gold category, players must have a social media following exceeding 150,000. The cricketing criteria include at least 30 T20 internationals, over 75 franchise T20 matches, and a minimum of 20 matches in the past 18 months.

In the Classic category, the guidelines do not specify a fixed follower count. Instead, players are required to have a reasonable fan base and commercial appeal, along with at least 20 T20 internationals, over 50 franchise T20 matches, and 20 matches in the last 18 months.

The introduction of these guidelines comes at a time when the league’s own digital footprint remains relatively modest, with its official accounts having around 38,200 followers on X and 99,200 on Instagram at the time of writing.

The move marks one of the rare instances in franchise cricket where social media popularity has been formally integrated into player eligibility criteria.

The sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League is scheduled to take place between July and August 2026 across four venues — SSC and RPICS in Colombo, PICS in Pallekele, and RDICS in Dambulla. The tournament will be organised by Sri Lanka Cricket, which owns the league, in partnership with The IPG Group.

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