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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Sri Lanka look to their bowlers against big-hitting West Indies

Published

4 hours ago

2026/06/11

Priyan

We are more than a week into this tour, and it feels like it’s barely begun. The first ODI went off without too much of a hitch, but the next two were washed out without a ball bowled, Kingston rains crashing the party. Unfortunately, the threat of rain hangs over this opening T20I too – with thunderstorms threatening on Thursday afternoon, which could affect the viability of the Sabina Park outfield later in the day (8.30pm local time is the start).

Unlike with ODIs, this is a format in which one of these teams is the favourite. West Indies were one victory away from knocking India out of their own home World Cup, while Sri Lanka spent much of the Super Eight in the recent global tournament fighting merely to prove they belonged. In India, West Indies showed their six-hitting strategy could still make waves. On top of which they have a much more successful franchise T20 product in the CPL than Sri Lanka has had with the LPL. Over many seasons, these sorts of advantages add up.

While West Indies clearly have the batting pedigree heading into this series, Sri Lanka will hope that their bowlers can make the contest more even. Wanidu Hasaranga has wreaked T20 havoc before in the Caribbean. In Dushmantha Chameera, they have a bowler who has shown he is in good rhythm on tour.

West Indies have excellent T20 bowlers too, Gudakesh Motie and Akeal Hosein especially. But the kind of firepower they possess in the batting order Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder and the like – Sri Lanka have rarely ever had, even at their T20 pinnacle.

Shimron Hetmyer had a pretty abysmal IPL with Rajasthan Royals, hitting only 78 for them from his seven innings. This is strange, because in the T20 World Cup preceding the IPL, he had crashed 248 runs at a strike rate of 186, and was legitimately the batting star in the West Indies line-up as they threatened to make a deep run in the tournament. He had not been selected in the only ODI West Indies played against Sri Lanka, but coach Darren Sammy and Co. would be hoping he rediscovers some of his World Cup form in this series.

Wanindu Hasaranga remains one of Sri Lanka’s most prized white ball assets. But over the years, as the franchise contracts have piled up, so have the kilograms, and as a consequence, the injuries. He’s one of the few top spinners in the world, for example, who has recurring hamstring complaints. His bowling record in the West Indies is genuinely spectacular, though, but perhaps it’s getting to the stage of his career when he is required to produce the kinds of performances that remind fans – and selectors – what makes him a special white ball cricketer.

West Indies may revert to their preferred World Cup XI to get some momentum into this tour.

West Indies (possible): Shai Hope (capt, wk), Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Akeal Hosein Shamar Joseph

Sri Lanka may continue to trial Kamindu Mendis at the top of the order. Fast bowler Eshan Malinga is likely to get into the XI after a good IPL. Dasun Shanaka will probably reclaim a spot in the lower-middle order as well. The state of the surface may also determine whether they play a spin-bowling allrounder (likely Dunith Wellalage) or a seam-bowling allrounder (Milan Rathnayake).

Sri Lanka (possible): Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis (capt, wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage/Milan Rathnayake, Dushmantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga, Nuwan Thushara

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Edgbaston takes center stage as England, Sri Lanka kick off T20 World Cup

Published

6 hours ago

2026/06/11

Priyan

Chamari Athapaththu will once again be key to SL's success [Cricinfo]

Hosts England will take on Sri Lanka at Edgbaston. The match is set to begin at 6.30pm local time (5.30pm GMT).

England hold an advantage in this contest, having won 10 out of the 12 T20Is between the sides. Sri Lanka though will draw confidence from recent history, having won the last two T20Is against England in 2023. This will be just the fourth time these two sides meet in the T20 World Cup.

England arrive at the tournament having won four out of the six matches since the start of the year, while Sri Lanka come in with momentum on their side, riding on five consecutive T20I wins that include series wins against West Indies and Bangladesh.

England (probable): Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

Sri Lanka (probable): Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hansima Karunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika de Silva, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wk), Malki Madara, Sugandika Kumari, Kawya Kavindi/Chetana Vimukthi

Lauren Bell has been in spectacular form all year, starting with the WPL where she finished with 12 wickets in nine games and was often a handful with the new ball. After picking three wickets in two games against New Zealand, she bagged seven wickets in three matches in the T20I series win against India. She’s bowled at an economy of 7.4 this year, and the home conditions are likely to suit her perfectly.

All eyes will once again be on Chamari Athapaththu for Sri Lanka. In what will be her 10th T20 World Cup the 36-year old will be expected to do the heavy lifting for her side. She heads into the tournament in excellent touch, highlighted by a blistering 94 off 58 balls in the warm up against Pakistan. Her contributions with the ball could prove just as important – she picked up four wickets in three matches in the series against Bangladesh in May.

Weather and conditions

The forecast points to clear skies in Birmingham on Friday evening. There was however some rain in the area on the eve of the match.

[Cricinfo]

Features

Samarawickrama’s rise gives Sri Lanka a second pillar

Published

8 hours ago

2026/06/11

Priyan

Harshitha Samarawickrama's advance as a T20 batter has opened up a new frontier in Sri Lanka's batting performance [Cricinfo]

Harshitha Samarawickrema was 14 when Sri Lankan women’s cricket first pricked the national consciousness. She had already been playing cricket for her school, Gothami Balika Vidyalaya, but had largely pursued cricket merely for the sake of playing a sport, and also because she had enjoyed watching the men’s team play. But watching Sri Lanka defeat England in a thriller at the 2013 World Cup stirred up a deeper yearning.

“I’d watched all of the matches at that World Cup actually – that was the first time those kind of matches were telecast,” Samarawickrama said once. “That’s when I decided I was going to play and win matches for Sri Lanka one day.”

That victory against England was a new dawn for Sri Lanka’s women for two reasons. First up it was the highest-profile victory on their ledger until then, marking an unexpected high point in a World Cup in which little was generally expected of the team. But it also marked the rocket-powered arrival of Chamari Athapaththu, who top-scored with 62 to help set up the chase.

Thirteen years later, Samarawickrama has not only fulfilled her promise to herself, she has also helped Sri Lanka bring to life the promise of that 2013 campaign. Athapaththu, who has since has become the superstar around which Sri Lanka’s cricket orbits, has never known a more consistent batting collaborator than Samarawickrama. In T20Is, the pair have put on 1,202 runs together – easily the best for Sri Lanka. Though both are lefties who revel in pressure, that’s about where the similarities end – Athapaththu having grown up idolising the big-hitting of Sanath Jayasuriya, while Samarawickrama had been a disciple of the Kumar Sangakkara school of left-handed batting. (Samarawickrama still tries to replicate that famous bent-kneed cover drive, though she invariably sprinkles a little of of her own flair to the endeavour.) Oppositions have found this combination difficult to contend with, Athapaththu commanding through the legside and brutal on errors of length, while Samarawickrama flits around the crease and carves boundaries through cover and point.

It has been clear for years now that Sri Lanka’s chances in pretty much any match depend primarily on Athapaththu runs. But Samarawickrama’s advance as a T20 batter has now opened up a new frontier in the team’s batting performance. Ideally, what Sri Lanka want is not merely big runs from their captain, but a strong partnership between Athapaththu and Samarawickrama. In victories, the Athapaththu-Samarawickrama stand averages 41.38.

More tellingly, a good Samarawickrama innings has become as reliable a predictor of a strong Sri Lanka showing as a good Athapaththu innings. In T20I wins, Athapaththu averages 40.18 and strikes at 131, in comparison to 17.94 and a strike rate of 94 in losses. Samarawickrama’s corresponding numbers are even more stark. In Sri Lanka victories, Samarawickrama averages 44.08 with a strike rate of 109. In losses those numbers are 16.94 and 87. Other Sri Lanka batters have leveled up in recent years too – Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva and Hasini Perera having become more frequent contributors, while 20-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne has also showed promise. But 11 years into her international career, Samarawickrama now has a serious body of work.

Samarawickrama had been modest in the shortest format in 2025, but she arrives at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 having had a good six months. Against Bangladesh in April, Samarawickrama had cracked 61 off 35, then 49 off 29, in back-to-back matches that Sri Lanka won (Samarawickrama was top-scorer on both occasions). This was in addition to having put up good numbers in the ODI series that preceded the T20Is. Her 36 not out off 34 in a comfortable warm-up win against Netherlands suggests she is still riding on that form.

This is the first T20 World Cup in which serious runs are expected of Samarawickrama, and if history is much to go by, she is not the sort to be daunted by occasion. Samarawickrama’s finest moments as a Sri Lanka cricketer had come in their most-celebrated win of all, in the Asia Cup final of 2024, against India. Typically, that chase of 166 in Dambulla had been propelled by an 87-run Athapaththu-Samarawickrama stand, but when Athapaththu was dismissed, Samarawickrama ensured she remained at the crease until the winning moments, hitting 69 not out off 51, ultimately collecting the Player-of-the-Match award.

If 2013 was a new dawn inspiring a fresh generation of Sri Lanka cricketers, 2024 was the year in which the team hammered its stake into the ground, breaking through into an entirely new galaxy of recognition and acclaim at home. Frequently batting in the shadow of Athapaththu, but always charting her own path, Samarawickrama has grown into a leader.

[Cricinfo]