• More heartburn for Kusal Janith 

Sri Lanka and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fast-bowling sensation Matheesha Pathirana fetched the highest-ever bid of $ 120,000 in the history of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) after being snapped by Colombo Strikers, at its player auction held at Colombo Hilton on Tuesday (21).

However, the most notable feature in the six-hour auction was out-of-form batter Kusal Janith Perera going unsold.

It will no doubt be a bitter pill for the 33-year-old, as it comes hard on the heels of him not being recalled for the national team ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup next month in the US and the West Indies.

The eventual price quoted by Colombo Strikers to purchase the talented Pathirana had bested the record set during last year’s inaugural LPL player auction, when Jaffna Kings had bought left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka for a then record price of $ 92,000.

The bidding for the 21-year-old, known for his unorthodox slinging delivery stride, had begun after the Dambulla franchise – under new owners – had quoted $ 70,000 after he had entered the auction at a base price of $ 50,000.

However, as the player auction progressed Galle Marvels – also under new owners – had raised the stakes and had quoted $ 100,000 straightaway.

Then, to avoid retention from Colombo Strikers, Galle had hiked their own bid to $ 120,000, but their efforts ultimately were to no avail, as the Strikers grabbed the star pacer having matched the Galle Marvels bid with their Right to Match option.

The eventual price quoted for Pathirana was also nearly five times more than his Indian Premier League (IPL) price when he was roped in by CSK for Indian Rupees 20 lakh, as a replacement for New Zealand’s Adam Milne two years ago.

He thus became an IPL star during his three-year stint with the five-time champions and his sudden emergence as a devastating death overs bowler in white-ball cricket, has enabled him to be the most-sought-after player in the country’s topmost T20 League.

Apart from Pathirana, another ex-Sri Lanka white-ball star Isuru Udana also topped the $ 100.00 mark when he was bought for that amount by Galle Marvels.

Udana, 36, had quit international cricket in 2021 to focus on domestic and franchise cricket and his price was $ 8,000 more than his previous signing with B-Love Kandy.

Former white-ball skipper and all-rounder Dasun Shanaka who commenced with a base price of $ 50,000 took the third highest price at the auction of $ 85,000, when he was snapped up by LPL title-holders B-Love Kandy.

The defending champions also have two other star all-rounders in their ranks in current Sri Lanka T20 captain Wanidu Hasaranga and ex-Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews.

The most expensive foreign player at the auction was Afghanistan’s right-arm medium pacer Karim Janat who fetched a price of $ 80,000 for last year’s runners-up Dambulla.

Another overseas player, South Africa’s hard-hitting left-hander Rilee Rossouw was bought by Jaffna Kings at $ 60,000.

The first-round of the bidding also produced a surprise when the country’s explosive white-ball opener Pathum Nissanka and its sole double centurion went unsold along with Kusal Janith at a base price of $ 40,000 each.

But, lady luck smiled on Nissanka during the second round of bidding when Jaffna Kings bought him at his base price, with none of the five franchises showing any interest in bidding for the former Sri Lanka captain Perera.

SQUADS

Colombo Strikers

Pre-signed and retained players: Chamika Karunaratne, Nipun Dhananjaya, Thisara Perera, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Shadab Khan, Glenn Philips

Bought at auction: Chamika Gunasekara, Dunith Wellalage, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Taskin Ahmed, Angelo Perera, Shevon Daniel, Binura Fernando, Garuka Sanketh, Matheesha Pathirana, Shehan Fernando, Kavin Bandara, Isitha Wijesundara, Muhammad Waseem, Allah Ghazanfar.

Dambulla Thunders

Pre-signed and retained players: Dushan Hemantha, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dilshan Madushanka, Nuwan Thushara, Mustafizur Rahman, Ibrahim Zadran

Bought at auction: Lahiru Udara, Akila Dananjaya, Danushka Gunathilaka, Ifthikar Ahmad, Nuwanidu Fernando, Nuwan Pradeep, Ranesh Silva, Sohan de Livera, Hazratullah Zazai, Karim Janat, Asela Gunaratne, Lahiru Madushanka, Rusanda Gamage, Mithun Jayawickrama, Sonal Dinusha, Haider Ali, Santhush Gunathilaka.

Galle Marvels

Pre-signed and retained players: Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Lasith Croospulle, Niroshan Dickwella, Maheesh Theekshana, Tim Seifert, Alex Hales

Bought at auction: Janith Liyanage, Dwaine Pretorius, Sahan Arachchige, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Sean Williams, Zahoor Khan, Malsha Tharupathi, Sadisha Rajapaksa, Mohamad Shiraz, Isuru Udana, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Kavindu Nadeeshan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Chamindu Wijesinghe, Jeffrey Vandersay, Yuri Koththigoda.

Jaffna Kings

Pre-signed and retained players: Charith Asalanka, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Kusal Mendis, Avishka    Fernando, Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmed.

Bought at auction: Rilee Roussow, Fabian Allen, Dhananjaya de Silva, Pramod Madushanka, Jason Behrendorff, Asitha Fernando, Vishad Randika, Lahiru Samarakoon, Eshan Malinga, Alex Ross, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Wanuja Sahan, Murvin Abinash, Arul Pragrasam, Pathum Nissanka, Kasun Rajitha, Nishan Madushka, Theesan Vithusan, Nisala Tharaka.

B-Love Kandy

Pre-signed and retained players: Dushmantha Chameera, Kamindu Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Wanindu Hasaranga, Andre Fletcher, Kyle Mayers

Bought at auction: Ashen Bandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Dasun Shanaka, Ramesh Mendis, Dimuth Karunaratne, Mohammad Hasnain, Pawan Ratnayake, Chamath Gomez, Chaturanga de Silva, Kavindu Pathiratne, Lakshan Sandakan, Sammu Ashan, Azam Khan, Agha Salman, Mohammed Ali.

 Top purchases

• $ 120,000 – Matheesha Pathirana (Colombo Strikers)
• $ 100,000 – Isuru Udana (Galle Marvels)
• $ 85,000 – Dasun Shanaka (B-Love Kandy)
• $ 80,000 – Karim Janat (Dambulla Thunders) Afghanistan all-rounder

Overseas players

Colombo Strikers: Shadab Khan, Glenn Philips, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Taskin Ahmed, Muhammad Waseem, Allah Ghazanfar.

Dambulla Thunders: Mustafizur Rahman, Ibrahim Zadran, Ifthikar Ahmad, Hazratullah Zazai, Karim Janat, Haider Ali.

Galle Marvels: Tim Seifert, Alex Hales, Dwaine Pretorius, Sean Williams, Zahoor Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Jaffna Kings: Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmed, Rilee Roussow, Fabian Allen, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Ross,

B-Love Kandy: Andre Fletcher, Kyle Mayers, Mohammad Hasnain, Azam Khan, Agha Salman, Mohammed Ali.