Cricketer Turned Exec Arrested for Bribery Attempt

Former India Under-19 cricketer Manjot Kalra, now a co-owner of the Lanka Premier League franchise Jaffna Kings, was arrested in Sri Lanka on Friday, July 17, 2026, over bribery allegations. He faces accusations of attempting to bribe a player participating in the tournament, with the player having alerted authorities about ten days prior. Kalra, 27, was remanded by a magistrate until July 31, along with his Indian associate Yuvraj Pushpa.

The arrest on the opening day of LPL 2026 has put the tournament under scrutiny, though Sri Lanka Cricket stated the event would continue as scheduled. The board reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. This incident follows previous concerns about match-fixing and bribery within the league, including a suspended prison sentence given to another franchise owner earlier this year for attempting to influence a player.

Kalra, who was known for his match-winning century in the 2018 U-19 Cricket World Cup final, had transitioned into sports entrepreneurship. The ongoing investigation into the alleged bribe attempt has cast a shadow over the start of the five-team LPL, which is scheduled to conclude on August 8, 2026.