The 2023 Lanka Premiere League (LPL), Sri Lanka’s topmost domestic T20 league with an international flavour, is all set to kick off at 05.30 p.m. today (July 30), with defending champions Jaffna Kings taking on the Colombo Strikers, at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Cricket announced that the gates will open for spectators at 03.30 p.m. this evening.
The series will run till 21 August, with matches being played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the Pallekele Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
A total of five franchise teams including Colombo Strikers, Dambulla Aura, Galle Titans, Jaffna Kings and B-Love Kandy comprising talented local and international players will take part in this tournament, and will play each other twice in the first round of the tournament, from where the top four sides will then advance to the semifinal.
Every team should play five local players in each game, with a maximum of six international stars allowed. The 2023 edition is the first time that the LPL had a players’ auction. Players such as Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Tabraiz Shamsi, Shakib Al Hasan and David Miller, signed up with the sides ahead of the auction.
Dilshan Madushanka was the most expensive player to be bought in the auctions, purchased by Jaffna for USD 92,000. New Zealand’s Chad Bowes was bought for USD 58,000 to become the most expensive overseas player in the 2023 LPL.
The teams will engage in intense competition as they face each other twice in the round-robin league format during the group stage games starting from July 30. Four teams will secure their place in the playoffs, which are scheduled to begin on August 17. The grand finale is set to take place on August 20, with August 21 as a reserved day.
Today’s Probable Playing XIs:
Jaffna Kings
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Nishan Madushka, Ashan Randika, Pathum Kumara (wk), Charith Asalanka, Thisara Perera (c), Asela Gunaratne, Hardus Viljoen, Asitha Fernando, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana
Colombo Strikers
Babar Azam (c), Pathum Nissanka, Nipun Dhananjaya, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Lahiru Udara, Mohammad Nawaz, Chamika Karunaratne, Ramesh Mendis, Naseem Shah, Wahab Riaz, Matheesha Pathirana
Meanwhile, a total of seven commentators will be heard during the upcoming season of the league.
Scott Styris (New Zealand)
Ramiz Raja (Pakistan)
Russell Arnold (Sri Lanka)
Roshan Abeysinghe (Sri Lanka)
Aamer Sohail (Pakistan)
Frances Mackay (New Zealand)
Hylton Deon Ackerman (South Africa)
