Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has decided to eliminate the controversial social media follower requirement for players in the Icon and Star categories for the upcoming sixth season of the Lanka Premier League (LPL). This change comes after feedback from the cricket community.
A report from NewsWire states that the new LPL Season 6 player registration and draft guide, released on May 9, no longer mandates that players in these categories have over 250,000 social media followers.
The tournament, taking place from July 10 to August 5, previously required overseas players aiming for the Icon category to meet both high cricketing standards and social media popularity. They needed at least 75 T20 International matches, over 100 franchise T20 matches, and participation in 30 matches in the last 18 months, alongside having the required social media following.
The Star category had a similar requirement, demanding players to have participated in at least 50 T20 Internationals, over 100 franchise T20 matches, and 30 games in the previous 18 months, in addition to the follower count.
The updated rules have now removed all mentions of social media follower counts, but still maintain cricket-based eligibility criteria, including international appearances and recent match participation.
This requirement had faced criticism, with many highlighting the disconnect between SLC’s advice for players to focus on their performance and the league’s earlier emphasis on social media presence.
The decision initiated discussions online, with opponents arguing that classification in Sri Lanka’s top T20 league should rely solely on cricketing ability rather than digital popularity.
Even with the follower requirement gone, the updated guidelines still emphasize players’ promotional roles, including required social media engagement, fan interactions, and tournament-related appearances.