Ahead of the Lanka Premier League 2022 ‘Player Draft’, which is set to be conducted later this evening (5th July), all five franchises – Jaffna Kings, Galle Gladiators, Dambulla Giants, Colombo Stars, and Kandy Falcons have submitted their full list of retained players and direct signings for the upcoming season.
The five franchises can retain up to six players, 4 local and 2 foreign from the previous year’s squad. They can also directly sign 2 local and 2 foreign players ahead of the ‘Player Draft’.
Lanka Premier League season 3 will be kicked off on the 31st of July 2022 and will be played at the R. Premadasa International Stadium, Colombo, and Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota.
The defending champions, Jaffna Kings have retained their captain Thisara Perera, mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana, uncapped batter Ashan Randika, Afghanistan wicket-keeper batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Pakistan batter Shoaib Malik for another season. They have also added two local players as direct signings – teen sensation Dunith Wellalage and batting all-rounder Dhananjaya De Silva. They have two foreign direct signings in Hardus Vilojen and West Indian batter Evin Lewis.
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Dambulla Giants have retained their skipper Dasun Shanaka, off-spinner Ramesh Mendis, seamer Nuwan Pradeep and ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Rathnayake. The two pre-draft signings for Dambulla Giants are Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Australian all-rounder, Ben Cutting.
Galle Gladiators have signed nine local and foreign cricketers ahead of the Player Draft on the 5th of July. They have retained the services of Sarfraz Ahmed, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Nuwan Thushara, and Pulina Tharanga from the 2021 season.
Ahead of the Draft, they have managed to add seamer Dushmantha Chameera and left-arm wrist-spinner Lakshan Sandakan as local direct signings along with two more Pakistan all-rounders – Faheem Ashraf and Imad Wasim.
Kandy Falcons have made two crucial local pre-draft signings in Wanindu Hasaranga and Chamika Karunaratne. Batting all-rounder Kamindu Mendis has been retained from last season. Ahead of the draft, Kandy Falcons have made two international signings in West Indian all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite and Australian spinner Chris Green.
Colombo Stars have retained the services of Angelo Mathews, Seekkuge Prasanna, Dinesh Chandimal, and Jeffrey Vandersay for this season as well. Notably, they have signed left-handed batter Charith Asalanka and wicket-keeper batter Niroshan Dickwella as direct signings along with South African all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius.
All squads before the LPL Draft 2022
Jaffna Kings – Thisara Perera, Shoaib Malik, Dhananjaya De Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Ashan Randika, Praveen Jayawickrama, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hardus Viljoen, Evin Lewis
Colombo Stars – Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Charith Asalanka, Jeffrey Vandersay, Seekkuge Prasanna, Niroshan Dickwella, Dwaine Pretorius
Galle Gladiators – Danushka Gunathilaka, Sarfraz Ahmed, Kusal Mendis, Pulina Tharanga, Faheem Ashraf, Dushmantha Chameera, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Thushara, Imad Wasim
Dambulla Giants – Dasun Shanaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Ramesh Mendis, Ben Cutting, Nuwan Pradeep, Tharindu Rathnayake
Kandy Falcons – Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunarathne, Kamindu Mendis, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Green
>> Visit the Lanka Premier League 2021 Hub <<
