The fifth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) which is set to commence on Monday (1 July) will have added glitz and razzmatazz attached to it, as the surprise package of the ongoing ICC Men’s T-20 World Cup Afghanistan will have at least five of its players strutting their stuff before the local audiences.
The Asian nation who qualified for its maiden semifinal in an ICC tournament will send the likes of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai and Noor Ahmed to Sri Lanka.
They will no doubt liven up the popular T20 domestic franchise with their fearless brand of cricket throughout next month.
Furthermore, there will be overseas players from South Africa, one of the T-20 World Cup semifinalists, Bangladesh, and New Zealand, along with Sri Lanka players who will turn out for the five franchise teams in the fray.
The five teams namely B-Love Kandy, Colombo Strikers, Dambulla Thunders, Galle Marvels, and Jaffna Kings thus will strive to capture the imagination of the local spectators during its 20-day extravaganza, across three venues Pallekele, Dambulla and Colombo.
The teams
Colombo Strikers
Thisara Perera, Chamika Karunaratne, Nipun Dhananjaya, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Shadab Khan, Glenn Phillips, 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
Kusal Perera, Dushan Hemantha, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dilshan Madushanka, Nuwan Thushara, Mustafizur Rahman, Ibrahim Zadran, Lahiru Udara, Akila Dananjaya, Danushka Gunathilaka, Nuwanidu Fernando, Nuwan Pradeep, Ranesh Silva, Lahiru Madushanka, Sonal Dinusha, Reeza Hendricks, Mark Chapman, Sachitha Jayatilake, Towhid Hridoy, Nimesh Vimukhti, Mohammad Nabi, Asanka Manoj, Chamindu Wickramasinghe
Galle Marvels
Niroshan Dickwella, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Lasith Croospulle, Maheesh Theekshana, Tim Seifert, Alex Hales, Janith Liyanage, Dwaine Pretorious, Sahan Arachchige, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Sean Williams, Zahoor Khan, Malsha Tharupathi, Sadisha Rajapaksa, Mohamed Shiraz, Isuru Udana, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Kavindu Nadeeshan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Chamindu Wijesinghe, Jeffrey Vandersay
Jaffna Kings
Charith Asalanka, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Kusal Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmad, Rilee Rossouw, Fabian Allen, Dhananjaya de Silva, Pramod Madushan, Jason Behrendorff, Asitha Fernando, Vishad Randika, Lahiru Samarakoon, Eshan Malinga, Alex Ross, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Wanuja Sahan, Murvin Abinash, Arul Pragasam, Pathum Nissanka, Nishan Madushka, Theesan Vithushan, Nisala Tharaka
B-Love Kandy
Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Kamindu Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Andre Fletcher, Mohammad Haris, 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, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Ali, Kasun Rajitha
(JK)