The Lanka Premier League (LPL) auction for the 2024 edition took place on Tuesday, with all five teams firming up their squads with fresh signings. Below is an analysis of each of the sides - their hits, misses, and more.
B-Love Kandy
Squad size: 22 (six overseas)
Players bought:
Pre-signings and retentions: Wanindu Hasaranga, Angelo Mathews, Dushmantha Chameera, Kamindu Mendis, Andre Fletcher and Kyle Mayers
Auction signings: Ashen Bandara (US $20,000), Dinesh Chandimal (US $40,000), Dasun Shanaka (US $85,000), Ramesh Mendis (US $10,000), Dimuth Karunaratne (US $10,000), Mohammed Hasnain (US $30,000), Chaturanga de Silva (US $30,000), Lakshan Sandakan (US $20,000), Azam Khan (US $50,000), Salman Ali Agha (US $10,000), Mohammed Ali (US $10,000), Kasun Rajitha (US $26,000), Pawan Rathnayake (US $5000) Chamath Gomez, (US $5000), Kavindu Pathirathne (US $5000) and Sammu Ashan (US $5000)
Hits: All the work was done by Kandy prior to the auction proper. Retaining Hasaranga and Kamindu was vital, as was having the experience of Mathews. That apart, the signings of Fletcher, Mayers and Chameera have bolstered the spine of the side considerably.
Misses: Kandy might have missed a trick in not going for Pathum Nissanka early. When the option came around later on to sign him up, Kandy just did not have the funds. That left Kandy with Fletcher and red-ball specialist Karunaratne as the only openers in the squad, and it could lead to Kamindu being pushed up the order.
Full squad
Openers: Andre Fletcher and Dimuth Karunaratne
Middle order: Ashen Bandara, Kamindu Mendis, Azam Khan, Dinesh Chandimal, Pawan Rathnayake and Salman Ali Agha
Allrounders: Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Kyle Mayers, Ramesh Mendis, Chaturanga de Silva, Kavindu Pathirathne and Sammu Ashan
Fast bowlers: Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha, Mohammed Hasnain, Mohammed Ali and Chamath Gomez
Spinners: Wanindu Hasaranga and Lakshan Sandakan
Colombo Strikers
Squad size: 20 (six overseas)
Players bought:
Pre-signings and retentions: Chamika Karunaratne, Thisara Perera, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Nipun Dhananjaya, Shadab Khan and Glenn Phillips
Auction signings: Chamika Gunasekara (US $10,000), Dunith Wellalage (US $50,000), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (US $50,000), Taskin Ahmed (US $50,000), Angelo Perera (US $20,000), Shevon Daniel (US $15,000), Matheesha Pathirana (US $120,000), Binura Fernando (US $55,000), Muhammad Waseem (US $20,000), Allah Ghazanfar (US $10,000), Garuka Sanketh (US $20,000), Shehan Fernando (US $5000), Kavin Bandara (US $5000) and Isitha Wijesundara (US $5000)
Hits: It might have been more than what Strikers were probably hoping to pay for him, but even at US $120,000, keeping hold of Pathirana through their right-to-match option could prove a shrewd piece of business.
Misses: But even with Pathirana's signing, Strikers' bowling contingent does seem a little light. Pathirana aside - mind you, he will be playing on the back of a month-long World Cup - the only real experience comes in the form of Binura and Taskin. A lot will hinge on Strikers' bevy of allrounders to boost their prospects with both bat and ball.
Full squad:
Openers: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Muhammed Waseem and Shevon Daniel
Middle order: Sadeera Samarawickrama, Nipun Dhananjaya, Angelo Perera, Kavin Bandara and Shehan Fernando
Allrounders: Glenn Phillips, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne and Thisara Perera
Fast bowlers: Matheesha Pathirana, Chamika Gunasekara, Binura Fernando, Taskin Ahmed, Garuka Sanketh and Isitha Wijesundara
Spinners: Shadab Khan and Allah Ghazanfar
Galle Marvels
Squad size: 24 (six overseas)
Players bought:
Pre-signings and retentions: Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Lasith Croospulle, Niroshan Dickwella, Maheesh Theekshana, Tim Seifert and Alex Hales
Auction signings: Janith Liyanage (US $36,000), Dwaine Pretorius (US $30,000), Sahan Arachchige (US $20,000), Lahiru Kumara (US $30,000), Prabath Jayasuriya (US $10,000), Sean Williams (US $20,000), Zahoor Khan (US $10,000), Mohomed Shiraz (US $10,000), Isuru Udana (US $100,000), Dhananjaya Lakshan (US $10,000), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (US $50,000), Jeffrey Vandersay (US $30,000), Malsha Tharupathi (US $5000), Sadisha Rajapaksa (US $5000), Pasindu Sooriyabandara (US $5000), Kavindu Nadeeshan (US $5000), Chamindu Wijesinghe (US $5000) and Yuri Koththigoda (US $5000)
Hits: Power-hitters permeate right through Marvels' squad, many of whom were secured even before the auction proper. They have been supplemented by a variety of quality spinners in Mahesh Theekshana, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jeffrey Vandersay and Prabath Jayasuriya. Promising youngsters like Malsha Tharupathi and Yuri Koththigoda couldn't have asked for a better set of mentors.
Misses: Marvels went hard for Pathirana, and thought they had their man courtesy a last-second US $20,000 bump to their own bid in an attempt to stave off Strikers' right-to-match option. But it was to no avail. Then right after that, Marvels lost out on Asitha in similar fashion. Perhaps they were wary of another right-to-match snipe, as their unprompted US $70,000 bump to 36 year-old Isuru Udana's base price will go down in history as one of the strangest auction purchases of all time.
Full squad:
Openers: Lasith Croospulle, Alex Hales and Niroshan Dickwella
Middle order: Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Janith Liyanage, Tim Seifert, Sahan Arachchige, Sean Williams, Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Sadisha Rajapaksa
Allrounders: Dhananjaya Lakshan, Isuru Udana, Kavindu Nadeeshan and Chamindu Wijesinghe
Fast bowlers: Lahiru Kumara, Dwaine Pretorius, Mohommed Shiraz and Zahoor Khan
Spinners: Maheesh Theekshana, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Jeffrey Vandersay, Prabath Jayasuriya, Malsha Tharupathi and Yuri Koththigoda
Dambulla Thunders
Squad size: 24 (six overseas)
Players bought:
Pre-signings and retentions: Dilshan Madushanka, Nuwan Thushara, Dushan Hemantha, Praveen Jayawickrama, Mustafizur Rahman and Ibrahim Zadran
Auction signings: Lahiru Udara (US $14,000), Akila Dananjaya (US $20,000), Danushka Gunathilaka (US $20,000), Iftikhar Ahmed (US $50,000), Nuwanidu Fernando (US $34,000), Nuwan Pradeep (US $36,000), Hazmatullah Zazai (US $50,000), Karim Janat (US $80,000), Asela Gunaratne (US $10,000), Lahiru Madushanka (US $20,000), Ranesh Silva (US $5000), Sohan de Livera (US $ 5000), Rusanda Gamage (US $5000), Mithun Jayawickrama (US $5000), Ayana Siriwardhana (US $5000), Sonal Dinusha (US $6000), Haider Ali (US $20,000), Santhush Gunathilaka (US $5000)
Hits: In Madushanka, Thushara, Mustafizur and Pradeep, Thunders might possibly be able to lay claim to the best seam contingent in LPL. Their batting, meanwhile, has been filled with relatively less heralded but potentially dangerous options, especially if the returning Gunathilaka can recapture his best form.
Misses: But it is in their spin department where Thunders might be found lacking. A trio of Dananjaya, Hemantha and Jayawickrama offer little by way of penetration, especially when compared to some of the talents on offer elsewhere.
Full squad:
Openers: Ibrahim Zadran, Lahiru Udara and Danushka Gunathilaka
Middle order: Haider Ali, Hazmatullah Zazai, Nuwanidu Fernando, Ifthikar Ahmed, Santhush Gunathilaka, Ranesh Silva, Rusanda Gamage and Sohan de Livera
Allrounders: Karim Janat, Asela Gunaratne, Lahiru Madushanka, Sonal Dinusha, Ayana Siriwardhana and Mithun Jayawickrama
Fast bowlers: Dilshan Madushanka, Nuwan Thushara, Mustafizur Rahman and Nuwan PradeepSpinners: Akila Dananjaya, Dushan Hemantha and Praveen Jayawickrama
Jaffna Kings
Squad size: 24 (six overseas)
Players bought:
Pre-signings and retentions: Kusal Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Charith Asalanka, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Azmatullah Omarzai and Noor Ahmad
Auction signings: Rilee Rossouw (US $60,000), Fabian Allen (US $32,000), Dhananjaya de Silva (US $50,000), Pramod Madushan (US $20,000), Jason Behrendorff (US $50,000), Asitha Fernando (US $40,000), Lahiru Samarakoon (US $13,000), Alex Ross (US $20,000), Wanuja Sahan (US $10,000), Pathum Nissanka (US $40,000), Nishan Madushka (US $10,000) and Vishad Randika (US $5000), Eshan Malinga (US $5000), Ahan Wickramasinghe (US $5000), Murvin Abinash (US $5000), Arul Pragasam (US $5000), Theesan Vithushan (US $5000) and Nisala Tharaka (US $5000)
Hits: In Nissanka, Kusal, Avishka and Roussow, Kings are hardly short of power at the top, while in Asalanka, they boast Sri Lanka's premier middle-order batter. Add to that Ross and Omarzai, and you have a pretty formidable batting line-up.
Misses: The loss of Theekshana means that their spin department is lacking some variety heading into the new season. Both Viyaskanth and Noor were signed up pre-auction, but aside from them, a lot of the spin-bowling burden might fall on the likes of fingerspinners Allen, Dhananjaya and Asalanka.
Full squad:
Openers: Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Nishan Madushka and Avishka Fernando
Middle order: Charith Asalanka, Rilee Roussow, Alex Ross, Dhananjaya de Silva, Ahan Wickramasinghe and Vishad Randika
Allrounders: Azmatullah Omarzai, Fabian Allen, Lahiru Samarakoon, Arul Pragasam and Nisala Tharaka
Fast bowlers: Jason Behrendorff, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan and Eshan Malinga
Spinners: Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Noor Ahmad, Wanuja Sahan, Theesan Vithushan and Murvin Abinash