Lanka Premier League (LPL) organisers on Thursday confirmed that they will soon announce the new owners of the Dambulla franchise.
The statement after the arrest of Dambulla Thunders co-owner Tamim Rahman on Wednesday over alleged involvement in match-fixing.
Rahman was stopped at the airport in Colombo before he was able to board a flight to Dubai and remanded in custody by a court in the Sri Lankan capital until May 31.
Consequently, the Dambulla Thunders franchise was terminated under Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Offences Related to Sports Act by Sri Lanka Cricket.
However, LPL rights holder IPG Group confirmed that the LPL 2024 will still go ahead with five teams as the Dambulla franchise will be taken over by new owners.
“The Dambulla franchise, despite the recent changes, will participate under new ownership,” IPG Group said in a statement.
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“We are in the final stages of confirming the new ownership, ensuring a seamless transition and uninterrupted participation of the team in the tournament.”
Notably, Dambulla Thunders paid $450,000 to sign 24 players during the LPL auction on Tuesday. The same squad will play for the franchise irrespective of the change in ownership. Pakistan’s Iftikhar Ahmed and Haider Ali are also part of the squad.
Meanwhile, Rahman, who has extensive business ties to Bangladesh, was under investigation for alleged offences related to match-fixing and organised betting, police told the court.
A special police unit dealing with corruption in sports carried out the arrest, the first involving an official of the LPL since it began four years ago.
Those convicted under the Sports Act face fines of up to 100 million rupees ($333,300) and jail sentences of up to 10 years.
For the unversed, the fifth edition of the LPL will run from July 1 to 21 and will be played across three venues Colombo, Dambulla, and Kandy.