Former India U-19 World Cup winner Manjot Kalra arrested in Sri Lanka for offering bribes to players

By Samira Vishwas On Jul 18, 2026

Former India Under-19 cricketer Manjot Kalra, who scored a hundred in the final of the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, has been arrested in Sri Lanka for trying to offer bribes to players during the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026. Kalra, who is also the co-owner of the Jaffna Kings franchise, was put behind bars by the Police Special Investigation Unit on Friday. He was detained just before the start of the opening match of the competition.

Kalra, who is 27 now, has entered the sports entrepreneurship, becoming part of the group that owns Jaffna Kings ahead of the new season.

The investigation team alleged that he tried to offer money to the players 10 days earlier. Sri Lanka cricketers Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Avishka Fernando and Dunith Wellalage, who are associated with the Jaffna Kings, lodged a complaint against him.

According to the police, Kalra was taken into custody at a hotel in Colombo while trying to give 9.5 million Sri Lankan rupees (around USD 28,700) to one of the players. A player had already alerted the security team of the approach, leading to an inquiry that led to Kalra’s arrest. He was produced before a magistrate in Sri Lanka.

The arrest has once again put the Lanka Premier League under the scanner. The new season got underway with a match between Jaffna Kings and Galle Gallants at the SSC Grounds in Colombo. The five franchises are competing for the trophy, with a total of 24 matches to be played.

The LPL has always faced the allegation of corruption. Earlier this year, Dambulla Thunders owner Tamim Rahman was handed a four-year suspended prison sentence for trying to influence a player and also for involvement in betting. He was also penalized with a fine of 24 million Sri Lankan rupees.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed the arrest of Kalra, saying it has zero tolerance towards wrong and unethical practices.

The board is ready to assist the investigators, but the tournament will continue. Kalra is remembered for his unbeaten 101 in the final of the 2018 Under-19 World Cup against Australia, a knock that led the sub-continent team to a title win under Prithvi Shaw’s leadership. However, he is now involved in one of the major controversies in the history of Sri Lanka cricket.