Sri Lankan Premier League - A sneak peek!

If we had not had enough of the IPL, the Big Bash League and the Champions League T20, the inaugural edition of the Sri Lankan Premier League is all set to kick off this August. Featuring seven provincial teams namely – Nagenahira, Uthura, Ruhuna, Wayamba, Uva, Basnahira and Kandurata.

Each franchise was given a preliminary list consisting of 24 players, of which they had to pick 18 players - 6 overseas and 12 local players and the remaining would be a part of the supplementary list, from which players could be substituted in the occurrence of an injury to a player from the preliminary list. The maximum number of overseas players who could make the playing XI is 4, just like the IPL. Sri Lanka Cricket has named 56 overseas players – barring players from India and England – who were picked by the 7 franchises.

Amongst the 107 local players who were drafted, there were six of them who were valued in the maximum price bracket of $35,000 in the local category. Sanath Jayasuriya led the group being paid $35,ooo. The other five who were a part of the top bracket were – Dinesh Chandimal, Chamara Kapugedara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thisara Perera and Rangana Herath. Jayasuriya will play for Kandurata alongside international stars like Albie Morkel and Misbah-ul-Haq. In totality, 107 local players were drafted.

Angelo Matthews replaced Shahid Afridi for Nagenahira as the icon player as Afridi wouldn’t be available towards the end of the tournament due to national commitments of playing against Australia. Gayle and Afridi however have been named as the icon players of the tournament. Gayle consequently will be the highest paid player, valued at $100,000, while Afridi will be second-best at $50,000.

Full list of signings by the respective franchises:

Uthura Oryxes

Overseas: Shakib Al Hasan, Brendan Taylor, Kevon Cooper, Imran Farhat, Fidel Edwards, David Miller, Dillon du Preez, Samuel Badree

Local: Chamara Kapugedara, Jehan Mubarak, Farveez Maharoof, Janak Gunaratne, Nilanka Premaratne, Mahela Udawatte, Chathura Peiris, Akalanka Ganegama, Roshen Silva, PHD Kaushalya, Sandun Weerakkody, Madra Lakmal, Sohan Boralessa, Yohan de Silva, Madushanka Ekanayake, Muttiah Muralitharan

Nagenahira Nagas

Overseas: Mitchell Marsh, Imran Nazir, Travis Birt, Ahmed Shahzad, Ben Laughlin, Elias Sunny, Musfiqur Rahim, Nasir Hossain

Local: Nuwan Kulasekara, Angelo Perera, Ajantha Mendis, TM Sampath, Sachith Pathirana, Suraj Randiv, Gayan Maneeshan, Chammera Dushmantha, Shaminda Eranga, Udara Jayasundera, Kanishka Alvitigala, Sajeewa Weerakoon, Andy Solomons, Ishan Jayaratne, Charith Sylvester, Angelo Mathews

Ruhuna Rhinos:

Overseas: Shahid Afridi, Daniel Harris, Ryan Harris, Aaron Finch, Jerome Taylor, Nathan McCullum, Ryan McLaren, Richard Levi

Local: Lahiru Thirimanne, Chamara Silva, Prasanna Jayawardene, Dilruwan Perera, Ramith Rambukwella, Tharanga Lakshitha, Gihan Rupesinghe, Shaluka Karunanayake, Denuwan Rajakaruna, Malinga Bandara, Kasun Madushanka, Dananja de Silva, Shanuka Dissanayake, Gayan Wijekoon, Chaminda Vidanapathirana, Lasith Malinga

Wayamba Wolves

Overseas: Azhar Mahmood, Umar Akmal, Tamim Iqbal, Colin Ingram, Kemar Roach, James Faulkner, Abdul Razzaq, Brad Hogg

Local: Dinesh Chandimal, Isuru Udana, Kushal Janith Perera, Akhila Dhananjaya, Kaushal Weeraratne, Shehan Jayasuriya, Suranga Lakmal, Milinda Siriwardana, Chathuraga Kumara, Nimesh Perera, Chaminda Vaas, Alankara Asanka, Dashun Shanaka, Malinga Pushpakumara, Dilesh Gunaratne, Mahela Jayawardene

Kandurata Kites

Overseas: Saeed Ajmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sohail Tanvir, Chris Lynn, Dane Vilas, Albie Morkel, Johan Botha, Adam Voges

Local: Thisara Perera, Thilan Samaraweera, Kosala Kulasekara, Kithruwan Vithanage, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Jeevantha Kulatunga, Malinda Warnapura, Chanaka Welegedara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Tharanga Paranavitana, Romesh Buddika, Chintaka Perera, Kaushal Silva, Niroshan Dikwalla, Kumar Sangakkara

Basnahira Bears

Overseas: Brad Hodge, Marlon Samuels, Daniel Smith, Dirk Nannes, Robin Peterson, Tim Southee, Clint McKay, Cameron Borgas

Local: Jeevan Mendis, Rangana Herath, Indika de Saram, Danushka Gunathilaka, Dhammika Prasad, Lahiru Jayaratne, Rushan Jaleel, Sachitra Serasinghe, Nuwan Pradeep, Dimuth Karunaratne, Amal Athulamudali, Sanjaya Gangodawila, Nadeehra Nawala, Thilan Tushara, Ishara Amerasinghe, Tillakaratne Dilshan

Uva Unicorns

Overseas: Andrew McDonald, Umar Gul, Shoaib Malik, Callum Ferguson, James Franklin, Abdur Rehman, Hammad Azam, Chris Gayle

Local: Sachithra Senanayake, Thilina Kandamby, Upul Tharanga, Dilshan Munaweera, Dilhara Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Chintaka Jayasinghe, Sameera Zoysa, Seekkuge Prasanna, Ashan Priyanjana, Vishva Fernando, Lahiru Madhushanka, Akila Ishanka, Dinesh Darshapriya, Saliya Saman, Ashen Silva