Manjot Kalra, Shubman Gill's Ex-India Teammate, a World Cup Winner and LPL Team Co-Owner, Arrested in Sri Lanka!

In a significant development casting a shadow over the start of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026, Sports Commune co-founder and Jaffna Kings owner Manjot Kalra was arrested today (July 17) by Sri Lanka's Sports Investigation Unit (SIU) on suspicion of attempting to fix a match.

Kalra, a former India Under-19 World Cup-winning cricketer, was taken into custody hours before the sixth edition of the T20 franchise tournament was set to begin.

He is expected to be produced before a court today. The arrest coincides with Jaffna Kings' scheduled opening match against Galle at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) this evening.

Who is Manjot Kalra?

Manjot Kalra rose to prominence as a left-handed opening batsman for India's 2018 Under-19 World Cup-winning team. He scored an unbeaten 101 in the final against Australia in Christchurch, earning the Player of the Match award and helping India secure a record fourth title in the competition.

Following his junior success, Kalra was acquired by Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the 2018 IPL auction but did not feature in any matches. He made his domestic debut for Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2019 and later in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2021. He was a teammate of Shubman Gill in the U19 World Cup, and also played along with Prithvi Shaw, Arshdeep Singh and others.

In 2019, Delhi Police filed a chargesheet alleging that Kalra's parents had fudged his date of birth (claiming 15 January 1999 instead of 1998) to gain an advantage in age-group cricket. His parents were named in the chargesheet as he was a minor at the time of the alleged offence. In January 2020, he received a one-year suspension from Ranji Trophy matches due to the age-fraud allegations, though a new DDCA ombudsman later cleared him to play open-age cricket.

After largely stepping away from professional playing, Kalra transitioned into sports entrepreneurship. In May 2026, he and business partner Mayank Goel, through their company Sports Commune, acquired ownership of the Jaffna Kings franchise ahead of LPL Season 6. The team, one of the most successful in LPL history with multiple titles, had previously been owned by the Lyca Group. He also ran a YouTube channel named Second Innings with Manjot Kalra.

Why is Manjot Kalra Arrested?

The SIU's action comes amid ongoing scrutiny of match-fixing and corruption in Sri Lankan cricket. The LPL has faced repeated allegations of spot-fixing and betting irregularities in previous seasons. Recent cases include the arrest of former Sri Lanka spinner Sachithra Senanayake in connection with alleged approaches to players during the 2020 LPL.

Kalra is suspected of having offered money to a player 10 days before the tournament starts. It was an attempted bribe to fix the match, and the concerned player reported it to the authorities. An investigation was launched, which led to his eventual arrest.

The current investigation into Kalra remains at an early stage, with authorities providing no specific details on the nature of the alleged fixing attempt, any individuals involved, or evidence gathered.

The arrest has immediately raised questions about the integrity of the ongoing tournament. Jaffna Kings, under new ownership, had been preparing for a strong campaign with pre-signed players including Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dunith Wellalage.