Goa, May 9 -- The Lanka Premier League (LPL) has taken an unexpected turn ahead of its sixth season, introducing a player eligibility rule that places social media popularity alongside cricketing performance. The Sri Lanka-based franchise tournament has now made Instagram and online following a formal part of overseas player categorisation, sparking debate across the cricketing world.

Traditionally, franchise leagues classify overseas players based on experience, recent form, and performance in T20 cricket. The LPL still considers these factors, but the new guidelines add an unusual requirement: social media followers.

Under the updated rules, players aiming for the prestigious Icon category must have at least 75 T20 Internationals, ove...