LPL 5 attracts over 400 foreign players

International stars Barbar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, James Neesham, Tim Southee and Ish Sodhi are among those over 400 foreign cricketers registered for this year’s Lanka Premier League auction.

The player registrations will conclude on Monday where the organisers will prune down the list to around 150 to come under the hammer at the auction. The auction is likely to be held on May 16 at a five-star hotel in Colombo.

Though the player registration was to conclude on Friday, it has been kept open till Monday due to request. These players include international stars mostly from Pakistan, New Zealand, Bangladesh, South Africa, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.

In addition to the foreign players, the selectors have been asked to line up a list of 120 local players, including some Under-23 cricketers who will be auctioned at a live auction by the five franchise teams.

The fifth edition of the Lanka Premier League 2024 will be held this year from July 1 to 21. The five-team competition will consist of a total of 24 games.

The first round will have 20 matches, while the final round will have four matches, including Qualifier 1 and 2 and the Eliminator. Each team will consist a minimum of 20 players and a maximum of 24 players with six overseas players and at least one Under-23 player.

The Lanka Premier League, Sri Lanka’s topmost T20 domestic competition with an international flavour, is a much-awaited competition among cricket lovers. B-Love Kandy, led by Wanindu Hasaranga, emerged champions of the 2023 edition.