Lanka Premier League 2021: Full squad list after player draft

Chris Gayle, Imran Tahir, Faf du Plessis, Tabraiz Shamsi, Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik are some of the key players drafted in the Lanka Premier League player drafts, held on Tuesday (November 9). The 2021 edition, which has had to be postponed twice due to Covid-19 disruptions and avoiding a clash with other T20 leagues this year, is finally set to go underway from December 5, with the final scheduled on December 23.

The draft was originally supposed to be held on November 6, although it was postponed after the franchises requested SLC to reconsider the date due to Diwali. National players Wanindu Hasaranga, Chartih Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Dushamantha Chameera, Dasun Shanka, Maheesh Theekshana have also been picked by the teams alongside some veteran stars in Upul Tharanga and Thisara Perera.

The players were divided into different categories: Icon Overseas and Local (USD 60000), Diamond Overseas and Local (USD 50000), Gold Overseas A and Local A (USD 40000), Gold Overseas B and Local B (USD 25000), Classic Overseas and Local (USD 15000), Emerging Local (USD 10000), Supplementary Local 1, 2, 3, 4 (USD 3000) with five franchises – Colombo Stars, Galle Gladiators, Dambulla Giants, Kandy Warriors and Jaffna Kings – involved in the process.

Unlike the first edition, when the top four teams out of the total five proceeded to the semi-finals, the league has adopted the IPL model of playoffs this year, after all the franchises felt the previous model undervalued the results of the league stage, with too much riding on the semi-final.

As it stands, the 2021 edition will see four teams making the playoffs, with two top teams facing each other in Qualifier 1 – a straight ticket to the finale – before the Eliminator between teams placed third and fourth. The winner of the Eliminator will face the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2, before the final clash.

Colombo Stars

Chris Gayle, Dushmantha Chameera, Ahamed Shehzad, Dilshan Munaweera, Mohammad Irfan, Al Ameen Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Pathum Nissanka, Lakshan Sandakan, Seepage Prasanna, Manpreet Singh, Gihan Rupasinghe, Lahiru Gamage, TM Sampath, Nuwanidu Fernando, Jehan Daniel, M Maduranga, N Priyadarshana, Hashan Dumindu, K Kabilraj.

Galle Gladiators

Mohammad Hafeez, Isuru Udana, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kusal Mendis, Mohammad Amir, Samit Patel, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Danushka Gunathilaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Anwar Ali, Pulina Tharanga, Nuwan Thushara, Lahiru Madhushanka, Dilshan Madhushanka, Ashian Daniel, Kevin Koththigoda, Mohammed Shamaaz, Suminda Lakshan, Angelo Jayasinghe.

Dambulla Giants

Imran Tahir, Dasun Shanaka, Rilee Rossouw, Chamika Karunaratne, Shoaib Maqsood, Odean Smith, Josh Little, Niroshan Dickwella, Nuwan Pradeep, Ramesh Mendis, Najibullah Zadran, Tharindu Ratnayake, Lahiru Udana, Sacha de Alwis, Muditha Lakshan, Kalana Perera, S Jayathilake, M Ravichandrakumar, Janith Liyanage, Chamika Edirisinghe.

Kandy Warriors

Rovman Powell, Charith Asalanka, Cameron Delport, Lahiru Kumara, Mohammad Mithun, Nazmul Islam Apu, Mehedi Hasan Rana, Angelo Perera, Asela Gunaratne, Milinda Siriwardena, Amjad Khan, Ishan Jayaratne, Binura Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Ayana Siriwardena, Nimesh Vimukthi, Udara Jayasundara, Shashika Dulshan, Kalhara Senaratne.

Jaffna Kings

Faf du Plessis, Thisara Perera, Wahab Riaz, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shoaib Malik, Usman Shinwari, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Avishka Fernando, Upul Tharanga, Chaturanga De Silva, Jayden Seales, Suranga Lakmal, Ashen Bandara, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamika Gunasekera, V Viyaskanth, T Dinoshan, Ashan Randika, R Thenurathan, Krishan Sanjula.