The Cricket Bulletin : Major Talking Points

Chennai set to host opening match of BBL 2026

Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium is set to host the opening game of the new BBL season in December 2026. Reportedly Cricket Australia received affirmative signals from the Board of Control for Cricket in India after months of discussions on the possibilities. A five-member CA delegation has since flown to Chennai to recce the stadium. BCCI president Mithun Manhas was also in Chennai to meet the CA delegation.

A CA representative acknowledged the conversations and said, “We are not able to confirm anything. We are exploring the potential of Chennai in partnership with the Australian Government to deepen the India-Australia relationship. Nothing confirmed as yet and we are working closely with our friends in BCCI.”

Lanka Premier League returns after two years

The Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 is set to return on July 17 after a gap of two years with a rematch of last final between the defending champions Jaffna Kings and the 2024 runners-up Galle Marvels. This edition will feature five teams from Jaffna, Colombo, Kandy, Galle, and Dambulla. The opener will be played in Colombo with the SSC ground set to host five matches in total from July 17-19 before the league moves to Dambulla, then Kandy, and finally return to Colombo again for the knockout stages and final on August 9.

While the previous two seasons hosted an auction, this year will see the return of a draft, scheduled for June 1. No player will be allowed to return from previous seasons. Each team has to have a minimum of 18 players in their squad. The player registration portal, meanwhile, has been open since May 8 and will close on May 20 with possibilities of direct signings open until May 22.

Former England captain dies at 92

Warwickshire and England captain, Mike Smith died at the age of 92. After making his debut for England in 1958, he played 50 Tests for them between 1958 and 1972 to amass 2278 runs at 31.62 with three hundreds and 11 fifties. He captained England in 25 Test matches. However, he was more famous for his first-class cricket career. For Warwickshire he remained a stalwart in a 19-year-old career between 1956 to 1975 including 10 years of captaincy. In all he scored 39,832 first-class runs in 637 matches, the 18th-highest total of all time.

Richard Thompson, the chair of the ECB, recalled, “Mike was a part of a group of former players who did so much both on and off the field. Having a player of Mike’s talent to chair a county as well as play for it was a huge benefit and Mike performed both roles with distinction. His contribution to the game will not be forgotten.”