The Lanka Premier League has ventured into its third edition with the player draft already done. With the draft out of the way, the five franchises have finally assembled a 20-man squad for the LPL starting on July 31st 2022.
With teams now finalised, let’s have a go at ranking every Lanka Premier League squad on paper.
5. Colombo Stars
The Colombo Stars franchise have added the South African bowling all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius as their International Ruby buy. They have also secured the services of Angelo Mathews and Niroshan Dickwella.
The team however looks devoid of any quality youngsters and has ageing professionals in the team. On paper, the third-placed team from last season look to be the weakest in Lanka Premier League 2022.
4. Dambulla Giants
After doing well in the first season, the Dambulla Vikings had a name change after which they dropped to fourth on the table the next year. The Dambulla Giants have added the services of Australian southpaw, D’Arcy Short and the Bowling all-rounder Ben Cutting. They however haven’t played highly competitive cricket recently and could look rusty.
The team also has Sri Lanka limited-overs captain Dasun Shanaka along with Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who inspire confidence, but the rest of the team is yet to tested.
3. Galle Gladiators
Galle Gladiators have been the runners-up in both the previous season of the Lanka Premier League which tells you a lot about their quality. Losing twice in the final, however, also tells you a lot about a lack of it.
Pakistan’s star all-rounder Imad Wasim has been the international Ruby buy for the team, and surely makes the team stronger. Kusal Mendis is another batter who improves the team further, given his performance in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia.
2. Kandy Falcons
Kandy Falcons look like a very well-rounded team this season. They picked the West Indies T20I captain Carlos Brathwaite from the International Ruby category along with the highest wicket-taker from the previous season of LPL, Wanindu Hasaranga from the ‘Player Draft’.
In Dewald Brevis, they have a high potential youngster who could go and become the next big thing. On paper, the Kandy Falcons look like the only team strong enough to challenge the might of the top team on this list.
1. Jaffna Kings
Jaffna Kings have won both of the Lanka Premier League editions. They picked the explosive batter Evin Lewis from the International Ruby category along with veteran all-rounders Shoaib Malik and Thisara Parera. In Maheesh Theekshana they have a spinner with high potential as well.
A young star in Dunith Wellalage would also bring in a lot of high energy to the team. Additionally, they have the experience of winning the trophy twice, which goes a long way in making a strong team.
