370 players go under the hammer at LPL auction
LPL Tournament Director Samantha Dodanwela briefs the media - Pic by Indika Handuwala
Nearly 370 players will go under the hammer at the player auction for the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024, the fifth edition of Sri Lanka’s global franchise cricket tournament, as revealed by the organisers, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
Each of the five teams competing for the LPL 5 title will be allowed a minimum of 20 players, with a maximum squad size of 24. The five teams in contention are defending champions Kandy (Owners to be finalised), Colombo Strikers, Dambulla Titans, Galle Marvels, and three-time winners Jaffna Kings.
Three of the franchises have changed ownership, with Galle Titans rebranded as Galle Marvels and Dambulla Aura renamed as Dambulla Titans under new owners. Negotiations are still ongoing for the ownership of B-Love Kandy. Colombo Strikers and Jaffna Kings will continue with their current owners for the fourth consecutive season.
The player auction will take place on Tuesday at the Hilton Colombo, with each franchise having an auction purse of US$ 500,000, totaling US$ 2.5 million collectively. Teams must spend at least 85 percent of their purse to form their squads.
“Each team can retain six players, and if a player is retained, that amount will be deducted from the auction purse,” stated LPL Tournament Director Samantha Dodanwela.
The auction will start at 12:00 noon and will include 18 initial rounds, focusing on different categories such as batters, all-rounders, fast bowlers, spin bowlers, and wicketkeepers, with segments for capped and uncapped players. Following the 18 rounds, the auction will move into the acceleration round. Charu Sharma, the auctioneer for the inaugural LPL player auction last year, will continue as the auctioneer this year.
Out of the 670 players registered for LPL 5, the number was reduced to 280 based on credentials. The final list includes 140 players selected by the National Selection Committee of SLC and 40 players provided by local premier clubs, with the remaining being overseas players.
Some of the international stars up for grabs include Abdullah Shafique, Anver Ali, Ifthikar Ahmed, and Naseem Shah from Pakistan; Adam Milne, Chris Lynn, Colin Munro, Martin Guptill, and Tim Southee from New Zealand; Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, and Usman Khawaja from Australia; Duanne Olivier, Lungi Ngidi, Rassie van der Dussen, and Rilee Rossouw from South Africa; Gulbadin Naib, Ibrahim Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz from Afghanistan; Fabian Allen and Shai Hope from the West Indies; Litton Das and Mahmudullah Riyad from Bangladesh; Andrew Balbirnie from Ireland; and Craig Ervine from Zimbabwe.
LPL 5 will commence on July 1, with titleholders Kandy facing Dambulla Titans at Pallekele, one of the venues where six out of the 20 double round-robin games will be played. Other venues are Dambulla and R. Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo, where the final will be held on July 21, with a rain reserve day on July 22. A total of 24 matches will be played between July 1 and 21, including 20 double round-robin matches, an eliminator, two qualifiers, and the final.