The inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) was played in a bio-secure bubble at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota.
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The Lanka Premier League (LPL) Colombo franchise has a new owner as Founder and Chairman of Softlogic Holdings PLC, Ashok Pathirage enters the second season of the premier T20 tournament of the Island Nation, by acquiring the Colombo-based franchise in the tournament. The Colombo franchise will witness explosive players who will set the stage alight for their side in the upcoming LPL, which begins on 05 December 2021. Softlogic Holdings PLC is one of Sri Lanka’s leading diversified conglomerates.
Speaking about entering the LPL, Softlogic Holdings Chairman, Mr. Ashok Pathirage said, “We are absolutely ecstatic to enter the Lanka Premier League. The tournament is destined to become one of the most sought after T20 franchises in the world and we wanted to play a part in the competition’s growth and evolvement in the next few years. We can’t wait for the upcoming season to start. Hopefully, our team plays at its best and produces the best results.”
Welcoming the new owner, Mr Anil Mohan, Founder and CEO of Dubai-based production giant IPG, the official promoter of LPL, said, “It’s a huge step for LPL to welcome and announce Softlogic Holdings as the owner of the Colombo franchise. Softlogic Holdings are part of the Sri Lankan DNA and have a heritage that we are proud to be associated with. With the global reach of our tournament, having the right mix of international and local owners has always been a priority for LPL to grow Sri Lankan cricket at home and across the globe.”
The inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) which was played in a bio-secure bubble at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota from November 26 till December 16, 2020, reached a cumulative audience of 557 million people through TV, digital-social space, and traditional media outlets.
The franchises of the Lanka Premier League recently confirmed the make-up of their squads in the Lanka Premier League 2021 ‘Player Draft’. Each of the five franchises which include Colombo Stars, Dambulla Giants, Galle Gladiators, Jaffna Kings and Kandy Warriors have packed their teams with a host of explosive and international cricket stars. The Colombo Stars will receive the services of Chris Gayle, Dushmantha Cheemara, Ahmed Shehzad, Dilshan Munaweera, Mohammad Irfan, Al Amin Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Pathum Nissanka Silva, Lakshan Sandakan, Seekkuge Prasanna, Manpreet Singh, Gihan Rupasinghe, Lahiru Gamage, TM Sampath, Nuwanidu Fernando, Jehan Kieth Zeon Daniel, Malindu Maduranga, Nalin Priyadarshana, Hashan Dumindu Ranasinghe and Kanagarathinam Kabilraj.
Meanwhile, the Dambulla Giants have picked Imran Tahir, Dasun Shanaka, Rilee Rossouw, Chamika Karunaratne, Sohaib Maqsood, Odean Smith, Josh Little, Niroshan Dickwella, Nuwan Pradeep, Ramesh Mendis, Najibullah Zadran, Tharindu Ratnayake, Lahiru Udara Igalagamage, Sacha DeAlwis Seneveratne, Muditha Lakshan, Kalana Perera, Sachitha Jayathilake, Madushan Ravichandrakumar, Janith Liyanage and Chamikara Edirisinghe.
The Galle Gladiators have acquired Mohammad Hafeez, Isuru Udana, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kusal Mendis, Mohammad Amir, Samit Patel, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Danushka Gunathilaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Anwar Ali, DH Ashan Pulina Tharanga, Nuwan Thushara, Lahiru Madushanka, Dilshan Madushanka, Ashian Daniel, Kevin Koththigoda, Mohammed Shamaaz, Suminda Lakshan and Angelo Jayasinghe.
