Hasaranga, Brathwaite, Pretorius, Lewis figure among highest valued players

• U19 WC cricketers Wellalage, Pathirana also make top cut  
• 28 international players feature among five franchises
• Lanka Premier League-3 Player Draft

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Australia’s T20I specialist D’Archy Short, Dwaine Pretorius of South Africa and West Indians Carlos Brathwaite and Evin Lewis were among the top international players who figured prominently in the Player Draft of the third Lanka Premier League (LPL) that took place virtual at the SSC pavilion yesterday.

Along with Pakistan’s T20 all-rounder Imad Wasim they were the highest valued players at $ 60,000 in the International Ruby category.

LPL-3 is due to commence on 31 July at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota.

Among the top five Sri Lankan Ruby highest valued players going at $ 60,000 were three Sri Lankan captains – present white ball captain Dasun Shanaka, and former captains Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera. Wanindu Hasaranga and Danushka Gunathilaka were also sold for the same value.

Sri Lanka’s Under-19 World Cup cricket captain Dunith Wellalage was bought by defending champions Jaffna Kings for $ 25,000. Another World Cup U19 player, fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana, was bought by Kandy Falcons for $ 25,000. Pathirana represented Chennai Super Kings at the last IPL.

Other Sri Lankan IPL players who figured in the LPL Player Draft are Hasaranga and Chamika Karunaratne (for $ 50,000) with Kandy Falcons, Bhanuka Rajapaksa with Dambulla Giants for $ 50,000, Dushmantha Chameera with Galle Gladiators for $ 50,000 and Maheesh Theekshana with Jaffna Kings for $ 40,000.

One of the highlights of the Player Draft is that the franchises have gone for drafting several young Sri Lankan players – Wellalage and Pathirana being among the highest to be brought at $ 25,000 each while several others have been brought under the Sri Lanka Gold and Sri Lanka Silver Under 23 categories.  

A key omission was Sri Lanka’s highest ranked T20 batsman Pathum Nissanka.

International Ruby ($ 60,000): Dwaine Pretorius (Colombo Stars), D’Archy Short (Dambulla Giants), Imad Wasim (Galle Gladiators), Evin Lewis (Jaffna Kings), and Carlos Brathwaite (Kandy Falcons)

Sri Lankan Ruby ($ 60,000): Angelo Mathews (Colombo Stars), Dasun Shanaka (Dambulla Giants), Danushka Gunathilaka (Galle Gladiators), Thisara Perera (Jaffna Kings), and Wanindu Hasaranga (Kandy Falcons)

International Sapphire ($ 50,000): Asif Ali (Colombo Stars), Ben Cutting (Dambulla Giants), Faheem Ashraf (Galle Gladiators), Hardus Viljoen (Jaffna Kings), Charith Asalanka (Colombo Stars), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Dambulla Giants), Dushmantha Chammera (Galle Gladiators), Dhananjaya de Silva (Jaffna Kings), Chamika Karunaratne (Kandy Falcons), and Fabian Allen (Kandy Falcon)

International Diamond ‘A’ ($ 40,000): Shoaib Malik (Jaffna Kings), Sandeep Lamichhane (Dambulla Giants), Andre Fletcher (Kandy Falcons), Dominic Drakes (Colombo Stars), and Janneman Malan (Galle Gladiators)

Sri Lankan Diamond ‘A’ ($ 40,000): Niroshan Dickwella (Colombo Stars), Chaturanga de Silva (Dambulla Giants), Kusal Mendis (Galle Gladiators), Maheesh Theekshana (Jaffna Kings), and Isuru Udana (Kandy Falcons)

International Diamond ‘B’ ($ 25,000): Naveen Ul Haq (Colombo Stars), Fazalhaq Farooqi (Colombo Stars), Dewald Brevis (Kandy Falcons), Sherfane Rutherford (Galle Gladiators), Tim Siefert (Dambulla Giants), Shahnawaz Dahani (Jaffna Kings), Haider Ali (Dambulla Giants), and Azam Khan (Galle Gladiators)

Sri Lankan Diamond ‘B’ ($ 25,000): Ramesh Mendis (Dambulla Giants), Lakshan Sandakan (Galle Gladiators), Dinesh Chandimal (Colombo Stars), Nuwan Pradeep (Dambulla Giants), Nuwan Thushara (Galle Gladiators), Dunith Wellalage (Jaffna Kings), Binura Fernando (Jaffna Kings), Matheesha Pathirana (Kandy Falcons), Dhananjaya Lakshan (Colombo Stars), and Ashen Bandara (Kandy Falcons)

International Platinum ($ 15,000): Karim Jannet (Colombo Stars), Sarfaraz Ahamed (Galle Gladiators), Tristan Stubbs (Jaffna Kings), Sheldon Cottrel (Dambulla Giants), and Usman Shinwari (Kandy Falcons)

Sri Lankan Platinum ($ 15,000): Seekkuge Prasanna (Colombo Stars), Jeffrey Vandersay (Colombo Stars), Tharindu Ratnayake (Dambulla Giants), Pulina Tharanga (Galle Gladiators), Praveen Jayawickrama (Jaffna Kings), Kamindu Mendis (Kandy Falcons), Ashan Priyanjan (Kandy Falcons), Suminda Lakshan (Jaffna Kings), Nuwanidu Fernando (Galle Gladiators), Pramod Madushan (Dambulla Giants), Sadeera Samarawickrama (Jaffna Kings), Nimesh Vimukthi (Galle Gladiators), Minod Bhanuka (Kandy Falcons), Lasith Croospulle (Dambulla Giants), and Ishan Jayaratne (Colombo Stars)