By Zainab Shafiq 
The Lanka Premier League (LPL) player auction on May 21st saw a flurry of activity, with Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana becoming the most expensive player in LPL history. The Colombo Strikers secured his services for a whopping $120,000, raising eyebrows and setting a new benchmark for the league.
Another surprise came with the bidding for veteran pacer Isuru Udana. Despite not being actively involved in international cricket, Galle Marvels (formerly Galle Gladiators) secured him for $100,000 after being the only franchise to show interest. The battle for former Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka was more intense, with B-Love Kandy ultimately winning the bidding war against Jaffna Kings at $85,000.
The auction saw a mix of established and upcoming overseas talent. Afghanistan’s Karim Janat fetched the highest bid among international players, going to the Dambulla Thunders (replacing last year’s Dambulla Aura) for $80,000. South African power-hitter Rilee Rossouw joined Jaffna Kings for $60,000, while Afghanistan’s wicketkeeper-batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz and hard-hitting batsman Hazratullah Zazai found homes at Colombo Strikers and Dambulla Thunders respectively, both for $50,000.
West Indies all-rounder Fabian Allen ($32,000) and South African all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius ($30,000) also managed to find buyers. However, some prominent overseas names like Lungi Ngidi, David Wiese, and Martin Guptill went unsold.
Among Sri Lankan players, experienced all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva secured a good deal with Jaffna Kings for $50,000, while young wicketkeeper-batsman Dunith Wellalage found a spot at Colombo Strikers for the same price. Notably, veteran opener Kusal Perera went unsold, while his counterpart Dimuth Karunaratne found a budget pick-up with B-Love Kandy for $10,000.
With the player auction concluded, all six franchises – Jaffna Kings, Colombo Strikers, B-Love Kandy, Dambulla Thunders, and the newly named Galle Marvels – have filled their squads. The stage is now set for the highly anticipated LPL season, which kicks off on July 1st.
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