Lanka Premier League borrow names from IPL teams with likes of Colombo Super Kings

Sri Lankan cricketers will soon be back in action as Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) prepares itself for the inaugural Lanka Premier League which is scheduled to be held from August 28 to September 20, 2020. While the schedule for the tournament is yet to be confirmed by SLC, a report has emerged that the team names for the Lanka Premier League have been inspired from the Indian Premier League (IPL).

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About the Lanka Premier League 

The Sri Lanka Premier League will feature five teams, named after the cities of Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna. According to the board, the tournament will witness 70 international players and 10 high-profile coaches who have confirmed their availability. According to multiple reports, the likes of Liam Plunkett, Dwayne Smith and Tim Southee have all been listed for the Lanka Premier League. 

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Each franchise will be allowed to pick a maximum of six foreign players in the squad with only four being allowed in the final playing XI. The Sri Lanka Premier League matches will be played at the Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and Suriyawewa Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium. 

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About Lanka Premier League teams 

Renowned statistician Mohandas Menon revealed the names of the Lanka Premier League teams on Twitter this week. The teams taking part in the tournament are - Colombo Super Kings, Galle Lions, Kandy Royals, Jaffna Sunrisers and Dambulla Capitals. 

The Colombo Super Kings have seemingly been inspired by the Chennai Super Kings while Galle has taken a cue from Gujarat Lions, who were part of IPL 2016 and 2017. The names of Kandy and Jaffna are inspired by IPL franchises Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Dambulla Capitals name taken inspiration from Delhi Capitals. 

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Lanka Premier League schedule to affect IPL 2020 UAE

The Lanka Premier League schedule is also likely to affect the upcoming IPL 2020 UAE. IPL 2020 UAE is scheduled to commence from September 19 with the final slated to be held on November 10. However, the arrival of Lanka pacers Lasith Malinga and Isuru Udana could be delayed.

Malinga was retained by Mumbai Indians for IPL 2020 UAE, while Isuru Udana was roped in by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) during the IPL 2020 auction. The Mumbai Indians franchise is also likely to be hit by the initial absence of their head coach Mahela Jayawardene. Though no official line-up has been confirmed yet by Sri Lanka Cricket yet, the former Sri Lankan captain is likely to coach one of the five competing teams in the tournament.

(COVER IMAGE: SRI LANKA CRICKET / TWITTER)