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Sri Lanka’s Dilshan Munaweera (R) with the Barbados Tridents ahead of the tournament opener – Pic courtesy CPL
The third edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) kicked off this week in Barbados and the tournament has thus far confirmed the participation of five Sri Lankan players.
Sri Lankan batting legend Mahela Jayawardene will turn out for the Jamaica Tallahwahs, while all-rounder Jeevan Mendis will join top order batsman Dilshan Munaweera to play for current titleholders Barbados Tridents.
Swashbuckling Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan and hard hitting all-rounder Thisara Perera will represent last year’s runners-up the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
Lasith Malinga, who was expected to play a major role for his team Guyana, was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury.
The CPL will last over a month, with the top team progressing automatically to the final at the end of the group stages. The third and fourth placed teams will play off in the first semi-final for a chance to play the second-ranked team in the second semi-final.
Several celebrities have invested in the CPL, with Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan buying the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel franchise, while Hollywood actors Mark Wahlberg and Gerard Buttler have acquired the Barbados Tridents and the Jamaica Tallahwahs respectively.
