The sixth season of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) is set to begin with a major financial boost after league promoter Innovative Production Group FZ, LLC (IPG) secured fresh backing through a strategic merger with United States-based Flash Sports & Media Inc.

The all-stock merger brings IPG’s cricket league commercial rights portfolio, including the LPL, under NASDAQ-listed platform UGRO. Backed by the new structure, IPG has announced plans to invest $20 million into the LPL over the next two years as the tournament targets commercial growth, improved broadcast standards and wider international expansion across multiple cricket markets.

IPG merger brings institutional backing

IPG confirmed that it has completed its merger with Flash Sports & Media, placing its portfolio of T20 league rights under the publicly listed platform. The development is expected to strengthen the commercial structure of the LPL while providing access to institutional capital and governance systems aimed at long-term growth.

While Sri Lanka Cricket will continue to own the intellectual property rights of the tournament, IPG will retain exclusive commercial and media rights for the league. The company said the latest move would help scale the competition in a more structured manner while focusing on franchise growth and operational stability.

Two-year investment plan for LPL

As part of the expansion roadmap, IPG plans to invest $20 million into the league over the next two years. The company said the focus would be on improving league infrastructure, strengthening sponsorship integration and building recurring commercial revenue streams.

The investment will also be directed towards upgrading broadcast production standards to 4K and improving fan engagement initiatives. Officials said the objective is to create a sustainable commercial model that can support multiple cricket properties across emerging markets.

Flash Sports & Media chief executive officer Bradley Nattrass stated that the merger would help the company execute projects across several cricket economies simultaneously. He indicated that centralised commercial operations and aligned franchise strategies would support stronger sponsorship deals, improved broadcast partnerships and greater audience engagement.

Chief financial officer Eric Sherb said the public-market structure would allow phased capital deployment while maintaining financial discipline and focusing on long-term commercial returns.

Expansion plans beyond Sri Lanka

Apart from the LPL, IPG also holds long-term agreements related to T20 leagues in Malaysia and Zimbabwe. The group confirmed that expansion into these markets forms part of a wider strategy to establish an integrated multi-market cricket business across South Asia and other emerging territories.

The company said the aim is to connect standalone leagues under one commercial platform that can centralise sponsorship opportunities and create long-term asset value across different competitions.

Officials added that future growth plans would focus on scaling operations, increasing media reach and developing a stronger international cricket entertainment network.

LPL 2026 schedule and venues confirmed

The sixth edition of the LPL will be held from July 10 to August 5. For the first time, matches will be played across four venues, including Colombo, Dambulla and Kandy, with the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo set to host games for the first time in league history.

The tournament is expected to feature several overseas players alongside leading Sri Lankan cricketers. The player registration window opened on May 4, while the player draft is scheduled to take place on May 24.

The LPL, operated by IPG under the patronage of Sri Lanka Cricket, has grown into one of the region’s prominent T20 competitions since its launch, attracting international participation and increasing commercial interest with each season.

After Rodri was drafted straight into the side on Saturday, City have a fully fit squad to choose from for the final two matches of the campaign.

Rodri is highly unlikely to start against Bournemouth having played an hour in the cup final and Guardiola is set to rotate his side given the hectic recent schedule.

It would be no surprise to see Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden come into the XI while Gianluigi Donnarumma will return in goal.

Might there be some changes in defence? None of John Stones, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias were involved at Wembley.

Alex Eala vs Oleksandra Oliynykova at Strasbourg Open.– FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP, MARTIN KEEP/AFP PHOTOS

• Alex Eala opens her campaign at the WTA 500 Strasbourg Open in France against Ukrainian World No. 66 Oleksandra Oliynykova in the round of 32.

2026 Strasbourg Open schedule

8:00 p.m.**** – Alex Eala vs Oleksandra Oliynykova

Alex Eala to play at Strasbourg Open main draw

The Philippines’ Alexandra Eala returns the ball to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Alex Eala has entered the main draw of the Strasbourg Open in France this coming week.

The Women’s Tennis Association website and the organizers confirmed Eala’s entry after initially being listed as a qualifier in the WTA 500 tournament.

Advertisement

Eala will be facing a Ukrainian qualifier Oleksandra Oliynykova to start her campaign in France — her fifth tournament on clay.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Read Next

Advertisement

Don’t miss out on the latest news and information.

Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoffs race is showing no end to its drama, with seven teams competing for the three remaining slots as the tournament enters the final week of the league stage. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) became the first team to qualify after beating the Punjab Kings on Sunday, but Delhi Capitals’ victory over the Rajasthan Royals added another layer of complexity to the top-four battle. Now, a total of seven teams are vying for the remaining three slots in the playoffs. (IPL 2026 Points Table)

While the Royal Challengers Bengaluru have sealed their spot in the next round, only two teams have been eliminated so far: the Mumbai Indians and the Lucknow Super Giants. We take a look at the qualification scenarios for the remaining seven teams:

Gujarat Titans: The Shubman Gill-led side needs just one win from their remaining two matches to officially seal qualification and firmly challenge RCB for the top spot. Even if they lose both, they are highly likely to go through on points or net run rate (NRR) unless an impractical statistical shift occurs with the trailing teams.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: SRH control their own destiny. Two wins could potentially push them to 18 points, safely placing them in the top four and potentially allowing them to fight for a top-two spot. One win takes them to 16 points, which should comfortably clear the logjam below them due to their healthy, positive NRR.

Punjab Kings: The costly defeat to RCB means PBKS can only reach a maximum of 15 points by winning their final fixture against LSG. Because they cannot reach the 16-point safety threshold, a win is non-negotiable. Even then, they must hope that the likes of CSK, RR, and KKR fail to clear the 14-point mark cleanly with a better NRR. SRH are likely to end the campaign above PBKS, while DC can only muster a maximum of 14 points, which would be irrelevant if Punjab get to 15.

Rajasthan Royals: With four defeats in their last five matches, Rajasthan’s campaign is on the brink of a complete collapse. At present, their playoff destiny remains in their own hands. If RR win both of their remaining games, they will finish on 16 points, putting them ahead of PBKS, KKR, and DC. If they only win one, the situation will force them into an ugly NRR battle with CSK and DC, provided that either KKR or PBKS fail to reach 15 points.

Chennai Super Kings: After their recent setback against LSG, CSK find themselves in must-win territory. They must ideally win both remaining matches to reach 16 points. Winning just one match (14 points) leaves them completely dependent on RR, KKR, and PBKS not crossing the 14-point mark, as well as keeping their NRR above the competition.

Kolkata Knight Riders: KKR are the only side apart from PBKS who can reach 15 points. That gives them a slight advantage if other teams end up managing just 14 points. The Ajinkya Rahane-led side need to win both of their remaining matches and in that case, Net Run Rate (NRR) is expected to decide their future as many teams still remain in contention. However, just one win will take them to 13 points and it is very unlikely that it will be enough for them.

Delhi Capitals: By defeating Rajasthan, Delhi kept their campaign alive, but they only have one game left, capping their maximum possible tally at 14 points. To qualify, they must win their final match-and do so by a big margin-whilst heavily relying on CSK, PBKS, and RR to lose all of their remaining fixtures, and KKR not to win more than one. Furthermore, because of their severely compromised NRR (-0.871), they desperately need massive margins of victory or a total points collapse from the rest of the field.

Featured Video Of The Day

IPL 2026 | Delhi Capitals Wins By 6 Wickets Against Mumbai Indians: Redemption For Sameer Rizvi

Runners from across the globe put their physical and mental stamina to the test on May 16: to conquer the Great Wall of China Marathon. The race that starts and finishes near the Huangyaguan fortress celebrated its 23rd anniversary this year. It is known for being a particularly gruelling course, but one that’s worth it. It is even on the Forbes Top 10 List of Marathons worth travelling for.

The New York Mets took the first Subway Series of the season over the New York Yankees in dramatic fashion on Sunday afternoon.

The Mets had runners on first and third in the bottom of the 10th inning with one out and rookie Carson Benge at the plate. Benge hit a chopper over Yankees reliever Tim Hill’s head.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

New York Mets’ Carson Benge celebrates with teammates after hitting into the game-winning fielder’s choice during the 10th inning against the New York Yankees in New York on May 17, 2026. (Seth Wenig/AP)

“Once it went over the pitcher’s head I kind of knew,” Benge said after the game.

Yankees infielders Anthony Volpe and Max Schuemann collided trying to make a play but neither could come up with the ball. Marcus Semien jetted home to score the game-winning run. The Mets won the game, 7-6.

The Yankees had a 6-3 lead going into the bottom of the ninth. Tyrone Taylor came up to the plate with Benge and Juan Soto on base. With two outs, he crushed a pitch to left field off David Bednar to tie the game. The next Mets heroics came in the following inning.

It was Taylor’s third home run of the season.

“I didn’t know it was going to stay fair,” Taylor said. “I kind of waited there to see if it would.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe watches New York Mets’ Luis Torrens react after hitting a two-run RBI double during the sixth inning in New York on May 17, 2026. (Seth Wenig/AP)

The Yankees went 2-7 on a nine-game road trip as they get set for a seven-game homestand against American League East rivals the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays.

“Guys are playing tough and making the plays they need to but just coming up a little bit short,” Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said. “We’ve got to have a short memory, move on and get ready … because we’ve got a big division opponent coming in.”

Bednar blew a save for the second time in 12 chances and his ERA ballooned to a 4.95.

“Overall, it’s unacceptable, especially in that spot,” Bednar said. “It’s just very frustrating.”

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza applauded the team’s resiliency.

New York Mets’ Tyrone Taylor reacts after hitting a three-run home run during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees in New York on May 17, 2026. (Seth Wenig/AP)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“We get down. We get punched in the face. We get back up,” he said. “Today was a perfect example when, like I said, we didn’t play our best game and we still are able to shake hands at the end.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Where is Elversberg?

Elversberg is a small town north-east of Saarbrücken in the small state of Saarland, south-west Germany. As part of Spiesen-Elversberg, the town has a population of around 13,000 but Elversberg alone has just 7,000 people living in it. There is no train station and just three bakeries. 

What is Elversberg’s back story?

The club was formed in 1907, although folded during World War I before reforming in 1918.

In 2013, the club reached the third division alongside RB Leipzig, but they were promptly relegated. After two playoff defeats in 2016 and 2017, the club finally returned to the third division in 2022 and slowly they began to gain a greater reputation.

The club’s surge coincided with the appointment of Nils-Ole Book in 2017 and head coach Horst Steffen, a former Bundesliga player, a year later. Book first joined as a scout before becoming sporting director, where he played a key role in recruitment. Steffen secured back-to-back promotions for the club as they reached the second division in 2023 as a newly-promoted side in the third division. Germany and Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade played a key role in the club’s promotion that year before moving on, and Bayern Munich’s Paul Wanner enjoyed a successful loan spell at the club a year later.

In just their second season in the second division (2024-25), Elversberg were in the promotion playoff. A 95th minute winner from Heidenheim broke their hearts though, as they missed out on the top flight. Steffen left for Werder Bremen, star player Fisnik Asllani returned to Hoffenheim and five other key players departed. Not only did it look like the chance had gone, but the club looked more likely to battle against relegation the following season.

How did Elversberg reach the Bundesliga promoted?

Aided by continuity at leading levels of the club, Elversberg found a way to turn a desperate situation into a remarkable one. What proved particularly helpful was having the father-son duo of Frank Holzer, chairman of the supervisory board, and Dominik, the president, leading the way and also calling the shots at main sponsor Ursapharm.

The appointment of head coach Vincent Wagner from Hoffenheim’s reserve team was understated, but Wagner did not change much from Steffen’s approach. Aided by former Bundesliga legend Mike Frantz, the assistant coach, and team manager Selina Wagner, who won a Champions League with Wolfsburg, the unit off the field appeared as united as the one forming on it.

The departure of star striker Younes Ebnoutalib to Frankfurt during the transfer window and sporting director Book to Borussia Dortmund in March didn’t derail the club’s promotion ambitions. After losing to relegation battlers Fortuna Düsseldorf in the penultimate game of the season, promotion hopes were wobbling once again. But a win on the final day was enough to keep their spot in second thanks to a superior goal difference. The Bundesliga had been reached.

“A friend of mine told me this week: ‘If Elversberg get promoted, then it’s like flying to the moon.’ Well, today we made it to the moon,” Wagner said afterwards.

Advertisement

Where do Elversberg play?

At the Waldstadion an der Kaiserlinde, which has a capacity of 10,000 — more than the population of the town. Construction to reach Bundesliga requirements —15,000 capacity — is reportedly not expected to be finished until 2027, though Elversberg have already been granted an exemption to that rule.

Who are the key figures at Elversberg?

The strength of this team appears to be the collective, and the continuity in leadership positions, rather than one or two individuals.

On the field though, Bambase Conte was signed on loan from Hoffenheim and the attacking midfielder was integral to the club’s promotion push. Long-standing goalkeeper Nicolas Kristof enjoyed a strong campaign, as did winger Lukas Petkov who pitched in with 13 goals and seven assists. Striker David Mokwa was bought in January for just €1.5m, but aided the team down the stretch.

The squad’s average age is 25.3, making it one of the younger squads in the second division. Having reportedly made €10m from transfers and spent just €3m on new arrivals, it’s clear what this team’s approach is. But this summer, it will be intriguing to see how the club approaches the transfer market as it looks to build a squad capable of staying in the Bundesliga.

Advertisement

Edited by: Matt Pearson