No Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) representative was invited to the ICC’s quarterly meeting in Ahmedabad over the weekend, but the fact that the ICC board has not slapped sanctions on SLC’s new Transformation Committee is being quietly celebrated by the new board in Sri Lanka,  a board member said.

The Transformation Committee was appointed by the nation’s government in May, replacing the elected set of SLC office-bearers. The ICC had taken a dim view of government interference in SLC in 2023, as well as in 2015, imposing sanctions on each of those occasions.

Sachin Tendulkar may not be a fan of them, but impact subs are making their way into the Lanka Premier League,  as is a stipulation that an Under-23 player (one born on or after July 1, 2003) has to be a part of each side’s playing XI at all times – even after the use of an impact sub. These were two key elements playing on the minds of the five franchises as the LPL draft 2026 took place on Monday in Colombo.

Both these changes ensured that squad composition – right from the four pre-signings to the 16-18 players drafted on the night – had to be fairly well thought out, with teams needing to decide which roles to entrust to a largely unproven talent while simultaneously balancing their squads for maximum impact. Complicating matters further was the relative dearth in the Under-23 category, with many of Sri Lanka’s Under-19 talents due to play India in July and thus unavailable for the tournament.

It was also revealed that Pathum Nissanka and Matheesha Pathirana are both nursing injuries, despite the former being named in the touring party for the West Indies. It is understood that his workload is being managed, with the player expected to undergo surgery in order to be fit for India’s tour of Sri Lanka later this year.

In terms of the teams, four of the five sides revealed new owners and coaching staff, with fresh team names to go with them. Only the Dambulla Sixers remained unchanged – though they had gone through a tumultuous period in 2024, with two changes in ownership prior to the start of the season. Jaffna are now the SC Jaffna Kings, Galle are the Galle Gallants, Kandy the Kandy Royals and Colombo the Colombo Kaps.

The draft itself concluded in a little under four hours, with each team tasked with drafting squads of at least 18 players, with the option of two additional signings at the end. In total there were 14 mandatory rounds of drafting, with two optional rounds for the teams that decided to participate.

Players were split into three categories – Platinum (US$ 50,000), Gold ($30,000), Classic ($20,000) – with each having a separate category for local and foreign players. There were also categories for Associate ($15,000) and Emerging Under-23 ($10,000) players.

Vijay Shankar the recently retired Indian national, IPL breakout star Eshan Malinga, fiery Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan, and the experienced pair of Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal were some of the notable pre-signings, while Avishka Fernando and Charith Asalanka were both first-round picks despite neither able to find a place in the Sri Lankan T20 squad. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Mohammed Nawaz headlined the overseas picks.

The final squads are as follows:

SC Jaffna Kings: Taskin Ahmed, Dunith Wellalage, Shakib Al Hasan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Avishka Fernando, David Wiese, Dilshan Madushanka, Kamil Mishara, Traveen Mathews, Ibrahim Zadran, Mohommed Shiraz, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Nuwanidu Fernando, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lizaad Williams, Dipendra Airee, Kugathas Mathulan, Praveen Manisha, Nishan Madushka

Colombo Kaps: Ben McDermott, Kamindu Mendis, Jimmy Neesham, Kusal Mendis, Binura Fernando, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Milan Ratnayake, Janith Liyanage, Shahnawaz Dahani, Jeffrey Vandersay, Thanuka Dabare, Movin Subasingha, Mohammed Haris, Hasan Mahmud, Kushal Bhurtel, Malsha Tharupathi, Sharujan Shanmuganathan, Wanuja Sahan, Anthony Pragasam

Kandy Royals: Vijay Shankar, Angelo Mathews, Moeen Ali, Wanindu Hasaranga, Nuwan Thushara, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Kusal Perera, Asitha Fernando, Garuka Sanketh, Daniel Sams, Vishen Halambage, Muditha Lakshan, Lahiru Udara, Dale Phillips, Zahir Khan, Brandon McMullen, Sahan Mihira, Pawan Sandesh, Dushan Hemantha, Isitha Wijesundera

Galle Gallants: Litton Das, Eshan Malinga, Rassie Van Der Dussen, Dasun Shanaka, Charith Asalanka, Mohammad Nawaz, Pramod Madushan, Lasith Croospulle, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Akif Javed, Sahan Arachchige, Chamika Karunaratne, Tharindu Rathnayake, Sam Harper, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Haider Ali, Dinura Kalupahana, Uri Koththigoda, Kasun Rajitha, Sachindu Colombage

Dambulla Sixers: Reeza Hendricks, Dinesh Chandimal, Sahibzada Farhan, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Niroshan Dickwella, Pavan Rathnayake, Akila Dananjaya, Mohammed Wasim, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Ramesh Mendis, Sachitha Jayatilake, Gulbadin Naib, Dian Forrester, Shadley Schalkwyk, Vishva Kumara, Gayana Weerasinghe

Pre-signings:

SC Jaffna Kings – Taskin Ahmed, Dunith Wellalage, Shakib Al Hasan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa

Galle Gallants – Litton Das, Eshan Malinga, Rassie Van Der Dussen, Dasun Shanaka

Kandy Royals – Vijay Shankar, Angelo Mathews, Moeen Ali, Wanindu Hasaranga

Colombo Kaps – Ben McDermott, Kamindu Mendis, Jimmy Neesham, Kusal Mendis

Dambulla Sixers – Reeza Hendricks, Dinesh Chandimal, Sahibzada Farhan, Dushmantha Chameera

[Cricinfo]

National javelin record holder Rumesh Tharanga etched his name into Sri Lankan athletics history by becoming the first athlete from the country to secure a top-three finish at a Diamond League meeting when he produced a remarkable performance in Rabat during the early hours of Monday (Sri Lanka time).

‎Competing among the world’s elite throwers, the 23-year-old delivered a massive throw of 85.97 metres with his very first attempt to take an early lead in the men’s javelin contest. Although two-time world champion Anderson Peters later edged ahead with a throw of 86.08 metres, Tharanga held on to finish second and create a historic milestone for Sri Lankan athletics.

‎Tharanga became only the second Sri Lankan athlete to compete in the prestigious Diamond League, following sprint star Yupun Abeykoon. His runner-up finish is the best result ever achieved by a Sri Lankan at the World Athletics top-tier one-day meeting series, which is now in its 17th edition.

‎Despite throwing more than four metres short of his season’s best, Tharanga stood tall against a world-class field packed with Olympic and World Championship medallists. The former St. Peter’s College athlete consistently surpassed the 82-metre mark in all of his successful attempts, demonstrating impressive consistency under pressure.

‎Among the distinguished competitors, former Olympic and world medallists struggled to match Tharanga’s performance. Only Keshorn Walcott, who threw 82.53 metres, managed to exceed the 82-metre barrier apart from the leading duo. Former Olympic champion Thomas Röhler finished fourth with 81.61 metres, while Olympic silver medallist Julius Yego placed fifth with 80.59 metres.

‎The 85.97-metre effort ranks as the fourth-best throw of Tharanga’s career and is expected to significantly boost his world ranking. Earlier this year, he rewrote the national record books with a sensational throw of 89.37 metres in March, a mark that currently stands as the world-leading performance of the season.

‎With his latest achievement on one of athletics’ biggest stages, Tharanga has further strengthened his reputation as Sri Lanka’s brightest medal prospect for future global competitions, including the World Championships and the Olympic Games. His historic Diamond League podium finish serves as another indication that the Sri Lankan star is rapidly establishing himself among the world’s leading javelin throwers. (RF)