On Wednesday, June 14, the Lanka Premier League (LPL) auction will be conducted in Colombo. The Colombo Strikers’ roster already includes formidable athletes such as Babar Azam, Matheesha Pathirana, Chamika Karunaratne, and Naseem Shah. Pathirana’s breakthrough IPL season occurred in 2023, when he helped the Chennai Super Kings achieve a record-tying fifth IPL championship. Recently, the gifted pacer made his debut for Sri Lanka against Afghanistan in an ODI series.
The team under Dasun Shanaka’s leadership won the three-game series 2-1. In a similar vein, the head coach of the Colombo Strikers, Simon Helmot, believes that the T20 format has continuously evolved over time. As a result, Simon Helmot, like most organisations, has an objective in sight. He desires to maintain the ‘aggressive’ cricket style as the focal point of his team-building efforts.
“Twenty-minute cricket has evolved and developed over time. We will attempt to acquire destructive hitters and wicket-taking bowlers. According to ANI, in order to carry out our plans, we will need the right group of players to play an aggressive style of cricket.
Chaminda Vaas, the Strikers’ bowling instructor, also considered acquiring local players who would make a significant contribution to the team. In addition, he disclosed that he will be seeking a balanced bowling lineup for the Colombo Strikers.
“Over the years, we have observed that local athletes make a significant difference in franchise cricket. We have compiled an inventory of names we would like to acquire at the auction. Vaas stated that the focus will be on constructing a well-balanced bowling unit at the auction.
When does the Sri Lanka Premier League begin?
The fourth season of the Sri Lanka Premier League will commence on July 31 and conclude on August 22. Earlier this year, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) released a statement confirming the same. Each LPL 2023 team will consist of twenty players. Fourteen of the twenty players will be Sri Lankan, while six international players will lend an international flavour to the tournament.
The Jaffna Kings won the competition the year before. In the final, they defeated Colombo by two wickets with four deliveries remaining. Sadeera Samarawickrama had an outstanding season and was appropriately named the tournament’s most valuable player.