The much-awaited inaugural edition of Lanka Premier League (LPL) is set to get underway on the 26th of November 2020. The tournament will be a golden opportunity for young Sri Lankan players to display their talent and to absorb knowledge from the experienced players who have mastered the art of cricket.
At the LPL player draft which was held on the 19th of October, 5 franchises filled out their squads with 20 local and overseas talents including a few uncapped players. Each franchise also picked 4 supplementary players who would be with the team in the bubble and could be called upon to play in case of an injury – they were to be chosen from a list of uncapped players.
Read – Players unlucky to miss out on LPL draft day
Apart from them, the franchises weren’t afraid to select one or two uncapped players in their main squads as well. Eight such players were drafted into the main squads, so altogether there are 28 uncapped players will be joining the 5 franchises in this year’s LPL tournament.
Here’s a brief introduction on each uncapped player.
Colombo Kings
Age – 27 years- Playing role – Right handed batsman
- Squad – Main Squad
Lahiru Udara who plays for NCC club as a wicketkeeper-batsman is one of the in-form players this season. He finished as the highest run-scorer of the last domestic first-class season, scoring 1039 runs in 9 matches.
Because of his rich returns with the bat, he was also included in the preliminary Test squad for the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh series.
Age – 23 years- Playing role – Right arm fast bowler
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
A former Sri Lanka U19 cap hailing from Royal College, Himesh Ramanayake currently plays for SSC.
He comes from a famous cricketing family, his dad Champaka Ramanayake who was the Sri Lankan bowling coach for many years, played 18 Tests and 62 ODIs for Sri Lanka and his brother Hashen Ramanayake has also represented Sri Lanka U19s.
- Age – 20 Years
- Playing role – Left arm fast bowler
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
The young pacer, Kalana Perera is another former Sri Lanka U19 cap who currently represents SSC.
His best moment so far, came in the 140th Battle of the Blues as he demolished Royalist’s batting line-up to seal victory for the Thomians. After his school career, he was also part of Sri Lanka Emerging teams which competed in the 2019 Asia Emerging Cup and 2019 South Asian Games.
Age – 24 years- Playing role – Ambidextrous spinner
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Tharindu Rathnayake is one of the rare talents who can bowl with both arms. He made his first-class debut for Sinhalese Sports Club in the 2015–16 Major League Tournament.
Rathnayake sprang into the limelight in 2017 when he was named the Best Bowler in the Under 23 Inter Provincial Cricket Tournament. He also topped the wicket charts for SSC in 2018, becoming the 3rd highest wicket taker of the SLC Major League that season with 53 wickets.
- Age – 18 years
- Playing role – Left handed Batsman
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Paranavithana who represented Sri Lanka U19s in the recently concluded Youth World Cup 2020, played all the matches in South Africa with his best performance being a half-century vs Scotland.
Later in the year, the Mahinda College skipper renewed the record for the highest individual score by a school player in Under 19 Schools cricket in Sri Lanka, scoring the first quadruple century in Sri Lanka Schools Cricket.
Paranavithana will be the youngest player in the 2020 Lanka Premier League.
Read Also – Who nailed the player draft? – Squad breakdown | LPL
Dambulla Lions
- Age – 25 years
- Playing role – All-rounder
- Squad – Main Squad
Ramesh Mendis is an off spinner plus a skillful middle order batsman who is currently playing for Moors Sports Club.
He smashed his first triple century in the recently concluded Major League Tournament against Negombo Sports Club on his way to becoming the 6th highest runs-scorer of the season.
Mendis was part of the Sri Lanka Emerging squad numerous times and in his last list-A match, scored a rapid-fire 64 against the West Indies attack in a practice game.
- Age – 27 years
- Playing role – Bowling all-rounder
- Squad – Main Squad
Pulina Tharanga who is an old-boy of Sri Devananda College, Ambalangoda is one of the most promising wrist spinners in the country.
Tharanga represents Chilaw Marians Club and in 2020, he was picked for the Sri Lanka Cricket board President’s XI as they faced the touring West Indies team.
Age – 22 years- Playing role – Right handed batsman
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Ashen Bandara who currently plays for Saracens Sports Club represented Sri Lanka in the 2018 U19 World Cup.
He is well-known for his acrobatics in the field and was substituted in to field against India at the 2017 Galle Test by then national coach Nic Pothas after Asela Gunaratne was ruled out with injury.
Bandara also maintains a 40+ average in first class cricket and already has a T20 century to his name.
- Age – 20 Years
- Playing role – Left arm fast bowler
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Born in Hambantota, Dilshan Madushanka is a rare talent unearthed by former left-arm pacer himself Chaminda Vaas. He was chosen for the Sri Lanka U19 squad from nowhere and became the highest wicket taker for the team in the recently concluded U19 World Cup.
Later, he also picked up the price scalps of Jason Holder and Kieron Pollard in a practice match against West Indies earlier this year.
Age – 19 Years- Playing role – Leg spinner
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Kavindu Nadeeshan is another leg spinner to watch out for in the future as he has troubled many overseas U19 batsmen with his variations. He picked up 18 wickets in 6 matches in the tri-series against West Indies U19s and England U19s in West Indies which Sri Lanka won.
After graduating into First class cricket, he has also shown his expertise with the bat as he struck a century against Army SC this season.
- Age – 22 Years
- Playing role – Leg Spinner
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Colombage is another wrist spinner who graduated from Maris Stella College and is now playing for NCC.
He was named in Sri Lanka’s squad for the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Bangladesh. Later, he was named in Sri Lanka’s squad for the men’s cricket tournament at the 2019 South Asian Games where Sri Lanka won the silver medal.
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Galle Gladiators
- Age – 26 Years
- Playing role – Right arm fast bowler
- Squad – Main Squad
Nuwan Thushara who is a member of the 2020 1st class Championship winning Colombo CC squad, is famous for his square-arm action which resembles that of Sri Lanka legend Lasith Malinga. He received his maiden call-up to the Sri Lanka Emerging team in 2019.
Thusara will be guided in Galle Gladiators team by his hero himself Lasith Malinga who is the icon player of the franchise.
- Age – 25 years
- Playing role – Right arm Fast Bowler
- Squad – Main Squad
Mohammed Shiraz is another up and coming pacer who has grabbed the spotlight on many occasions in the SLC Major League tournament. In List-A matches, he has an average of 17.57.
He was selected for the Sri Lanka tour of South Africa in 2019 but didn’t play any matches. Shiraz is a member of the Burger Recreation Club.
- Age – 22 years
- Playing role – All-rounder
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Dhananjaya Lakshan is a former Richmond College captain who also represented the Sri Lanka U19 team at the 2018 U19 World Cup.
One of the highlights in his career came in the U19 division 1 limited overs cricket tournament 2017/18 semi-final against S. Thomas’ College as he captured 5 for 36 and then scored an unbeaten 130 off 138 balls.
Lakshan currently plays for Colts CC.
- Age – 31 years
- Playing role – Batting All Rounder
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Chanaka Ruwansiri is a seasoned campaigner in the Lankan CC line up and the second oldest uncapped player to be selected for the Lanka Premier League.
Ruwansiri’s selection for LPL must have been influenced by his 2 dazzling centuries (165 & 124) which were scored in quick time, including 7 and 9 sixes respectively in the recently concluded SLC Major League.
He is also a handy off-spinner who has 98 first class wickets to his name.
- Age – 24 years
- Playing role – Left Handed Batsman
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Sahan Arachchige who is a former Anandian made his first-class debut for Colts Cricket Club in the 2015–16 Premier League Tournament.
He boasts an average of 32.77 in T20s at a strike rate of 134.7 while he can also contribute with his part-time off spin.
- Age – 24 Years
- Playing role – Left arm orthodox
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Duvindu Tillakaratne is one of the twin sons of former Sri Lanka skipper and Head Coach of Kandy Tuskers, Hashan Tillakaratne.
Duvindu earned his place among the best of the young talent in Sri Lanka in the 2019/20 SLC Major League by finishing as the highest wicket taker of the tournament.
He was also selected for the preliminary squad for the Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka.
Jaffna Stallions
- Age – 23 Years
- Playing role – Batting All-rounder
- Squad – Main Squad
Charith Asalanka was one of the finest players who played for Richmond College and also went on to captain the national U19 team at the 2016 U19 World Cup. He was awarded the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year award in the years 2015 and 2016 becoming only the seventh player to win the award twice.
After his school career, he had to go through a major injury recovery, but he was in great touch last season, scoring loads of runs for SSC.
- Age – 20 Years
- Playing role – Off Spinner
- Squad – Main Squad
Maheesh Theekshana who is a product of St. Benedict’s College, Colombo is dubbed as ” Podi Ajantha Mendis” for his pyrotechnics with the ball.
He bowls with the same action as the former Sri Lanka cap and is effective just like his icon. He didn’t waste any time in catching the eye of selectors when he picked up a 5-fer in just his 2nd First Class Match against a power-packed SSC side.
He was then selected to play for the Sri Lanka Board President’s XI and delivered figures of 3/9 in a one-day match against Ireland-A.
- Age – 21 years
- Playing role – Batting All-rounder
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Younger brother of Sri Lanka Test cap Vishwa Fernando, Nuwanidu is another promising talent from St Sebastian’s College. He achieved a rare feat in the Battle of the Golds 2019 by scoring a century and picking up a hattrick.
Fernando was the leading run-scorer for Sri Lanka in the 2018 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup, with 195 runs in five matches and was also named in Sri Lanka’s squad for the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
The youngster has already scored a first-class century even though he hasn’t received many opportunities at the senior level.
- Age – 21 years
- Playing role – Bowling all-rounder
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Kanagarathnam Kapilraj who is a product of St John’s College, Jaffna has represented the Jaffna District Under-15 Team, Northern Province Under-15 Team, Under-19 Northern Province Teams as a right-handed batsman and right arm medium paceman. In the U19 level, he was part of the Sri Lanka U19 Board XI as well.
After graduating from school, Kapilraj has represented the Police SC Under-23 Team and Tamil Union C & AC Under-23 Team.
- Age – 18 years
- Playing role – Batting All-rounder
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Theivendram Dinoshan is from St. John’s College and is eligible to represent his school in the next school cricket season.
Dinoshan has represented College from the under-15 level and was a member of the Jaffna District Under-15 Team, Northern Province Under-15 Team and the Under-19 Northern Province Team as a right-handed middle order batsman and right arm medium paceman.
He is currently in the Sri Lanka U19 development squad as well.
- Age – 18 Years
- Playing role – Bowling All-rounder
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth is from Jaffna Central College and is eligible to represent his school in the next school cricket season.
The youngster is a Sri Lanka U19 cap and played 2 Youth Test matches against Australia and India so far as a right-handed batsman and leg spinner.
Kandy Tuskers
- Age – 23 Years
- Playing role – Bowling All-rounder
- Squad – Main Squad
The Former Ananda College vice-captain Kavishka Anjula is a fast-bowling all-rounder who is capable of big hits with the bat.
He was the 3rd highest wicket taking pacer in the 2019/20 Major League tournament with 28 wickets in 7 matches at an exceptional average of 20.78.
The 23-year-old also managed to pick up the priced scalp of Joe Root in a practice match against the touring England team earlier this year.
- Age – 23 Years
- Playing role – All Rounder
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
The all-rounder from Dharmaraja College was part of the Sri Lanka U19 squad for 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
After his school career, he joined Camberley Cricket Club in England for the 2018 season and finished with figures of 33 wickets at 15.36 and 301 runs at 30.10.
The fast-bowling all-rounder currently plays for Badureliya Cricket Club.
- Age – 29 Years
- Playing role – Left arm orthodox
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Current Saracens spinner Chamikara Edirisinghe is one of the experienced uncapped players in the Lanka Premier League with more than 250 first class wickets to his name.
He was the leading wicket-taker for Saracens Sports Club in the 2018/19 SLC Major League Tournament, with 52 dismissals in ten matches and took 9 wickets in an innings against CCC.
- Age – 21 Years
- Playing role – Wicket-Keeper Batsman
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
An explosive batsman from Moratu Vidyalaya, Nishan Madushka was part of Sri Lanka U19 squad for Youth World Cup 2018.
In November 2019, he was named in Sri Lanka’s squad for the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Bangladesh. Later the same month, he was named in Sri Lanka’s squad for the men’s cricket tournament at the 2019 South Asian Games.
The gifted right-hander struck two 150+ knocks for Ragama CC in the last season, 169 vs Tamil Union and 154 vs Lankan CC, boosting his FC average to 48+.
- Age – 31 Years
- Playing role – Bowling All-rounder
- Squad – Supplementary Squad
Right arm pacer of Ragama CC; Ishan Jayaratne is the oldest uncapped player to be selected for the Lanka Premier League.
Jayaratne was selected to make his debut for Sri Lanka A in the 2013 off-season, touring the West Indies and playing home series against New Zealand A and Kenya. At Twenty20 level, he has made appearances for Ruhuna, Southern Express (including in the 2014 Champions League Twenty20), and the Kurunegala Warriors.
