Sports

LPL 2022 draft: Kandy Falcons sign Hasaranga; Rajapaksa to turn out for Dambulla Giants

Published

4 years ago

2022/07/10

The draft for the third edition of the Lanka Premier League was held on Tuesday evening, with each of the five franchises allowed to pick six international players, with one from each price category barring Gold and Silver. Sri Lankan players were available for all categories. The pre-draft portion of the squad selection, however, meant that for many of the teams the top-tier draft picks had been decided well in advance of the draft proper.

The draft included players in seven price points: Ruby (US$ 60,000; approx LKR 21.5 million) Sapphire ($ 50,000; approx LKR 18 million), Diamond A ($ 40,000; approx LKR 14 million), Diamond B ($ 25,000; approx LKR 9 million), Platinum ($ 15000; approx LKR 5 million), Gold ($ 10,000; approx LKR 3.5 million) and Silver ($ 3000; approx LKR 1 million).

Jaffna Kings

Who to start with than Jaffna Kings? Formerly Stallions, they are two in two in the LPL finals and are no doubt the team to beat. If you were to pinpoint the reason for their success, though, you would boil it down to shrewd team building, which has left the other franchises playing catch-up.

Their captain Thisara Perera, Avishka Fernando, Shoaib Malik, Suranga Lakmal and Wanindu Hasaranga formed the spine of the side that won the first LPL, and were integral parts of last year’s campaign as well. Last season, Kings also identified exciting young overseas as well as local talent in the likes of Jayden Seales, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Maheesh Theekshana.

But all good things must come to an end, and this season will certainly put Kings’ think tank to the test, first and foremost in navigating the losses of Hasaranga, Avishka and Lakmal. Hasaranga has been signed by Kandy Falcons, Avishka is out long-term with a knee injury and Lakmal has retired.

Still, Kings focused on rebuilding their core of the last two years as much as possible and picked Thisara (Ruby), Malik (Sapphire), and Theekshana (Diamond A) pre-draft and Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the draft.

Big-hitting West Indies opener Evin Lewis (Ruby) and South African quick Hardus Viljoen (Sapphire) were their two pre-draft signings as overseas players. The remaining overseas slots were taken by 23-year-old Pakistan quick Shahnawaz Dahani (Diamond B) and 21-year-old South African wicketkeeper-batter Tristan Stubbs.

Their fans will also be excited by the inclusion of allrounders Dhananjaya de Silva (Sapphire) and Dunith Wellalage (Diamond B), their captain at the U-19 World Cup earlier this year. Both were signed pre-draft as direct local signings.

Squad:Evin Lewis, Thisara Perera, Hardus Viljoen, Dhananjaya de Silva, Shoaib Malik, Shahnawaz Dahani, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Maheesh Theekshana, Binura Fernando, Dunith Wellalage, Tristan Stubbs, Praveen Jayawickrama, Suminda Lakshan, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dilshan Madushanka, Nipun Dananjaya, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Theesan Vidushan, Theivendiram Dinoshan, Ashan Randika

Galle Gladiators

Twice Gladiators have made the title round, and twice they have lost. The second defeat might have hurt more than the first, not necessarily for the nature of it, but because leading up to the final, they seemed to have had Kings’ number. But if they are to go all the way this time around, they will have to do it without their skipper from last season, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who has been signed by Dambulla Giants.

While that loss will likely hurt, Gladiators managed to retain the services of Danushka Gunathilaka (Ruby) and Kusal Mendis (Diamond A) – the respective top scorers in the past two editions of the tournament. The rest of the side has a much fresher look about it, with Pakistan allrounders Imad Wasim (Ruby) and Faheem Ashraf (Sapphire) brought in as direct pre-draft overseas signings.

Much like Kings, a large part of Gladiators’ squad-building was done pre-draft, with fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera (Sapphire) and left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan (Diamond B) drafted as direct local signings.

The big signing from the main draft for them was South Africa’s top-order batter Janneman Malan (Diamond A). Afghanistan legspinner Qais Ahmad (Diamond B) and Pakistani batters Azam Khan (Diamond B) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (Platinum) rounded up the overseas picks.

Squad:Imad Wasim, Danushka Gunathilaka, Faheem Ashraf, Dushmantha Chameera, Janneman Malan, Sherfane Rutherford, Azam Khan, Kusal Mendis, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Thushara, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Pulina Tharanga, Nuwanidu Fernando, Nimesh Vimukthi, Movin Subasinhga, Nipun Malinga, Sachindu Colombage, Lakshan Gamage, Tharindu Kaushal, Sammu Ashan

Colombo Stars

If Gladiators are disappointed at falling short twice in a row, spare a thought for Colombo Stars. In the inaugural edition, they were the standout side in the group stages, winning six out of eight games, before losing in the semi-final to a Galle side that had snuck through with just two wins.

The last edition, though, was admittedly a write-off, where despite having one of the more impressive squads on paper, they lacked consistency.

On the plus side, they successfully retained the services of many of their key players in Angelo Mathews (Ruby), Dinesh Chandimal (Diamond B), Seekkuge Prasanna (Platinum) and Jeffrey Vandersay (Platinum), while also adding two exciting left-hand batters in Charith Asalanka (Sapphire) and Niroshan Dickwella (Diamond A).However, they lost both Chameera and Dhananjaya to rival sides, and there is no Kusal Perera either this year as he is recovering from an injury.

In their rebuild, Stars have this year chosen to cast their net a little wider. The addition of Dwaine Pretorius (Ruby) as their premier overseas signing hints at an overarching strategy of bringing in more players with all-round skills. Then there is Dhananjaya Lakshan (Diamond B), who was pivotal in Galle’s run to the final in 2020, Ishan Jayaratne (Platinum) and young Afghanistan seam-bowling allrounder Karim Janat (Platinum).

Janat is one of three Afghanistan fast bowlers in the squad, alongside Fazalhaq Farooqi (Diamond B) and Naveen-ul-Haq. West Indies’ Dominic Drakes (Diamond A) offers another all-round option.

In the batting department, Stars are mostly set, and the signing of Pakistan’s Asif Ali (Sapphire) will provide further heft to an already robust line-up.

Squad:Dwaine Pretorius, Angelo Mathews, Asif Ali, Charith Asalanka, Dominic Drakes, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Niroshan Dickwella, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Karim Janat, Seekkuge Prasanna, Jeffrey Vandersay, Ishan Jayaratne, Muditha Lakshan, Lakshitha Manasinghe, Kevin Koththigoda, Chathuranga Kumara, Navod Paranavithana, Chamod Battage

Dambulla Giants

Led by Dasun Shanaka, the national T20I captain, the franchise from Dambulla has flattered to deceive in the two LPL outings, going from impressive performances to mediocre ones. If they were to find some consistency, one gets the sense they could be a match for any side, but striking the necessary balance has proved elusive – though the signing of Rajapaksa (Sapphire) is certainly a step in the right direction.

Rajapaksa, the former Galle Gladiators skipper, has been a consistent performer in the LPL, and his addition gives the middle order some much-needed bite. Especially after last season’s campaign had run almost exclusively on the form of the opening pair of Phil Salt and Dickwella – both of whom are no longer part of the squad.

The lack of big-hitters has been further addressed through the signings of Australian allrounders D’Arcy Short (Ruby) and Ben Cutting (Sapphire), while New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert and Pakistan batter Haider Ali – both in the Diamond B category – further bolster Giants’ middle order.

Short’s wristspin is likely to prove useful on Sri Lankan pitches, though it’s another wristspinner, Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane (Diamond A), who is likely to get top billing on that front. Lamichhane has been a regular in the BBL, picking up 34 wickets across the last three seasons. It will be intriguing to see the impact he can have in the LPL, considering how influential spinners have been in previous seasons.

Chaturanga de Silva, the elder brother of Hasaranga, has also been signed from the Diamond A category along with West Indies’ left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell (Diamond B). Giants have also retained the services of spin-bowling allrounder Ramesh Mendis (Diamond B) and fast-bowler Nuwan Pradeep (Diamond B).

Squad:D’Arcy Short, Dasun Shanaka, Ben Cutting, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Sandeep Lamichhane, Tim Seifert, Haider Ali, Chaturanga de Silva, Ramesh Mendis, Nuwan Pradeep, Sheldon Cottrell, Tharindu Ratnayake, Pramod Madushan, Lasith Croospulle, Kalana Perera, Dilum Sudeera, Sachitha Jayathilake, Dushan Hemantha, Sacha De Alwis, Ravindu Fernando

Kandy Falcons

It has been three changes of ownership (and names) in three seasons for Falcons (formerly Warriors and Tuskers), and they will certainly be hoping to be third time lucky.

The first edition saw them struggle to even register a win. They didn’t fare much better last season either, registering just two victories across the tournament. But this season, they have made as clear a statement of intent as possible, signing Sri Lanka’s premier spinner Hasaranga (Ruby) as their top-most priority signing pre-draft.Hasaranga has been without a doubt the LPL’s most destructive bowler, taking 28 wickets across two editions, while he is also capable of hefty blows with the bat. Not only does his addition strengthen Falcons, it also significantly weakens the defending champions Kings, from whom they nicked him.

Another player nicked from Kings is Pakistan’s Usman Shinwari (Platinum), who will lead a fairly light-looking pace attack consisting of 19-year-old Matheesha Pathirana (Diamond B) and seam-bowling allrounders Carlos Brathwaite (Ruby), Chamika Karunaratne (Sapphire) and Isuru Udana (Diamond A) – all three of whom will add power-hitting options lower down the order.

Brathwaite isn’t the only West Indian in the side, with spin-bowling allrounder Fabian Allen (Sapphire) and top-order batter Andre Fletcher (Diamond A) picked up in the main draft.

South Africa’s Dewald Brevis (Diamond B) and Australia’s Chris Green (Diamond B) round up the overseas draft picks. Brevis most recently had an impressive showing in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, while Green has shown his utility with both bat and ball in the BBL and T20 Blast.

Squad:Carlos Brathwaite, Wanindu Hasaranga, Fabian Allen, Chamika Karunaratne, Andre Fletcher, Dewald Brevis, Chris Green, Isuru Udana, Matheesha Pathirana, Ashen Bandara, Usman Shinwari, Kamindu Mendis, Ashan Priyanjan, Minod Bhanuka, Avishka Perera, Ashian Daniel, Malinda Pushpakumara, Janith Liyanage, Lasith Abeyratne, Kavin Bandara

(Cricinfo)

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England Women appoint Leah Poulton as managing director

Published

2 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

Leah Poulton will become Managing Director, England Women [Cricinfo]

Leah Poulton the former Australia batter turned coach and administrator, will join England Women as managing director, succeeding Clare Connor.

Poulton will be charged with overseeing the success of the international team and pathways after the ECB cited her “impressive track record driving women’s cricket forward in Australia”.

Poulton earned 90 caps for Australia before retiring in 2015 and has spent the past six years as head of elite female cricket at Cricket New South Wales. There, she oversees cricket performance operations across two WBBL franchises, women’s state cricket and one of the world’s largest women’s cricket talent pathways.

Before that, she spent three years at Cricket Australia as a High Performance Coach, where she was instrumental in setting up Australia’s enviable women’s high-performance pathway, which included developing the Australia A and Under-19s women’s teams.

In her new role, she will be accountable for the performances of England Women, England Women A, England Women Under-19s and the overall women’s high-performance system.

Poulton will start in her new role in November with England set to host the Women’s Ashes next summer. She fills the role vacated by Connor, who announced earlier this year that she would be leaving the ECB after a career spanning 18 years, and will work closely with England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt.

“I’m incredibly excited and honoured to be joining England, and to have the opportunity to help shape our programmes and, most importantly, invest in our people,” Poulton said. “I’m looking forward to working with Charlotte, Nat and the wider team, building on the strong foundations already in place and taking the programme forward.

“I know how vital strong pathways and a healthy domestic game are to sustained success, so I’m looking forward to connecting with people across the game and helping give the next generation of English players every opportunity to thrive. It’s a huge privilege to be part of England Women, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Richard Gould, the ECB’s CEO, said that with the senior women’s team had made under Edwards, appointed last year, and having reached the final of their recent home T20 World Cup, England Women were well placed for a successful era.

“I’m delighted to welcome Leah on board to help us build on this and take us to the next level,” Gould said. “She has a deep understanding of international cricket from her playing career and has built an impressive reputation in her time in administration.

“I believe she and Lottie will be a formidable combination, and will continue the team’s progress and development as we compete for the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy and Women’s Ashes in 2027.”

[Cricinfo]

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Avindu makes history with first World University gold for Sri Lanka

Published

4 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

University of Sri Jayewardenepura weightlifter Avindu Liyanagedara made history yesterday by becoming the first Sri Lankan university student to win a gold medal at a World University sports event, as Sri Lanka made a spectacular start to the 2026 World University Weightlifting Championship in Doha, Qatar.

‎Liyanagedara won the men’s 60kg title, while Sabaragamuwa University’s Nipun Dissanayake added a bronze medal in the 65kg category on the opening day of the championship.

‎Liyanagedara lifted 105kg in the snatch and 132kg in the clean and jerk for an impressive combined total of 237kg.

‎Spain’s Gomez Martinez took the silver with 228kg, while Chun-Yen Tang of Chinese Taipei won bronze with 227kg.

‎Dissanayake also secured a podium finish in the 65kg class with a total of 220kg, comprising a 100kg snatch and a 120kg clean and jerk.

‎Iran’s Mohhadov Tehran won the gold with 289kg, with Moldova’s Ion Badanev taking silver with 288kg.

‎Liyanagedara’s achievement represents a landmark breakthrough for Sri Lankan university sport. His gold is the first gold medal won by a Sri Lankan university student at a World University sports event, while Dissanayake’s bronze further strengthened the country’s historic opening-day showing.

‎The Sri Lanka University Sports Association has entered five male and two female athletes for the championship, with University of Colombo’s Sujan Walgampaya serving as team manager and coach.

‎The championship continues in Doha until September 12, with Sri Lanka already assured of a memorable place in the history of World University sport through Liyanagedara’s historic gold medal.

Sports

Quicks, rotate them and look after them

Published

14 hours ago

2026/09/9

Sahan Weerasooriya

Dushmantha Chameera and Dilshan Madushanka are a treat to watch when on full flow but both have been injured all too frequently.

by Rex Clementine

Despite the disappointment over how Sri Lanka’s cricket teams have fared in recent years, there is one format in which they have managed to hold their heads high, ODI cricket. There are a couple of notable feathers in their cap too, having beaten Australia and India, the world’s two top ranked teams and finalists at the last World Cup.

Those impressive performances against the heavyweights have ensured that Sri Lanka are out of the woods this time around. Unlike ahead of the 2023 World Cup, they will not have to endure the indignity of a qualifying tournament to book their ticket to South Africa in 2027.

How they fare once they get there, of course, is another question altogether.

Sri Lanka failed to progress beyond the first round in both 2019 and 2023, a sharp contrast to their impressive run from 2003 to 2015. Across those four World Cups, they twice finished runners-up, reached a semi-final on another occasion and made the quarter-finals in the other.

If Sri Lanka are to make an impact in South Africa, one thing they must do is wrap their fast bowlers in cotton wool. Fast bowling has been one of the brighter areas of Sri Lankan cricket in recent years and there can hardly be a better place to cash in than South Africa, where hard, bouncy surfaces tend to put a spring in the step of any quick worth his salt.

The key man, obviously, is Dushmantha Chameera. The quickest bowler in the country, Chameera is now being used only in white ball cricket and that should make workload management considerably easier. Sri Lanka would be wise to count how many limited overs games they have between now and the World Cup rather than wheel him out for every bilateral contest.

Keep him for the important assignments, such as the Asia Cup. Then there is the IPL, where he will understandably want to ply his trade. Manage him sensibly and by the time the World Cup comes around this time next year, Sri Lanka could have a fresh and firing Chameera rather than one held together by strapping and hope.

Then there is Asitha Fernando, whose progress over the last five years has been remarkable. Currently ranked just outside the top ten among Test bowlers, he has earned admiration for his ability to make things happen, particularly with the older ball. He keeps asking questions even when conditions are against him.

A stint with Glamorgan last year appears to have added a few more tricks to his armoury as well. Asitha is no longer simply a wholehearted fast bowler. He is developing into a clever one.

Lahiru Kumara is another serious weapon. The second quickest bowler in the country behind Chameera, he can be devastating when fully fit. His career should probably have produced far more by now, but, like Chameera, injuries have repeatedly applied the handbrake.

Eshan Malinga, meanwhile, has arguably been the most improved fast bowler in the country over the last 12 months. He has pace, guile and every time you watch him, there seems to be another little trick added to his repertoire. The upcoming series against England should tell us plenty about how far he has come.

Eshan has already become a regular fixture for his IPL franchise. It should only be a matter of time before he establishes himself in similar fashion for Sri Lanka.

Then there is Dilshan Madushanka to provide the left-arm variety. When in full flow, he is a treat to watch. His ability to strike with the new ball makes him particularly valuable and when batters attempt to force the pace against him, he can be deadly. Used aggressively during the Power Play, he should provide plenty of early breakthroughs.

That makes Sri Lanka’s use of their quicks during the upcoming tour of England, particularly in the ODIs, worth watching closely. With the World Cup in mind, there is little sense in flogging the same men game after game. Rotate them, manage them and make sure the main weapons are still firing when the bigger battles arrive.

There are also Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara, the two slingers, although that style of bowling increasingly looks as though it is losing some of its novelty as batters become accustomed to it.

One man Sri Lanka should certainly not overlook is Milan Rathnayake. He bowls at a decent pace, bats beautifully and is probably the best fielder among the fast bowlers. That package could prove invaluable in South African conditions.

Sri Lanka have spent years searching for a pace attack with depth. They finally appear to have one. The challenge now is to preserve them. South Africa will reward pace. Sri Lanka’s job over the next year is to make sure their quicks land in Johannesburg fit.