From Suresh Raina’s return to cricket to IPL style auction: All you need to know about LPL 2023 auction

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has officially announced that the Lanka Premier League 2023 auction is set to take place on June 14, which will feature over 500 registered players for the upcoming T20 tournament. The much-awaited fourth edition of the Premier T20 League will begin on 31st July and conclude on 22nd August. Following in the footsteps of the Indian Premier League (IPL), SLC has decided to adopt a similar competition format this year. Each of the five participating franchises will have a spending purse of US$500,000.

Charu Sharma thrilled to be auctioneer for LPL 2023, the league’s first ever auction! , #LPL2023— Sri Lanka Cricket __ (@OfficialSLC) June 12, 2023

Star players signed ahead of Lanka Premier League 2023 auction

Renowned cricket stars including Pakistani captain Babar Azam and former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan have already secured contracts ahead of the Lanka Premier League 2023 auction. These pre-selected players have signed three-year deals, giving the franchises the option of retaining or releasing them after each season based on mutual agreement. Additionally, franchises will have the opportunity to trade players during a specified period, although specific details regarding the trade mechanism are yet to be confirmed by the LPL.

Suresh Raina registers for LPL 2023 auction

Indian cricket legend and former Chennai Super Kings player Suresh Raina has expressed his interest in participating in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) by registering for the 2023 auction. Raina has made an initial bid of USD 50,000 for the tournament to be held from July 30 to August 20. Despite announcing his retirement from all forms of cricket in September 2022, Raina participated in the Abu Dhabi T10 2023 tournament and engaged in commentary. During the Indian Premier League 2023 season. Given his vast experience in franchise cricket, the left-handed middle-order batsman is expected to receive competitive bids during the LPL 2023 auction.

Pre-selected players list revealed ahead of LPL 2023 auction

The pre-selected players list has been unveiled ahead of the LPL 2023 auction, which includes key names assigned to each franchise. The lineup is as follows:

Colombo Strikers: Babar Azam, Mathisha Pathirana, Naseem Shah, and Chamka Karunaratne
Dambulla Aura: Matthew Wade, Kusal Mendis, Lungi Ngidi and Avishka Fernando
Jaffna Kings: Mahesh Thikshana, David Miller, Thisara Perera and Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Kandy Falcons: Wanindu Hasaranga, Angelo Mathews, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Fakhar Zaman
Galle Gladiators: Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka, Shakib Al Hasan and Tabraiz Shamsi

Auction rules for LPL 2023 unveiled

The Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2023 auction will follow a set of broad rules similar to the IPL auction. Players registering for the auction will be divided into two groups: capped and uncapped players. Capped players will have a base price of $10,000 to $50,000 in $10,000 increments. Uncapped players will be further classified into three value categories based on their experience. Players with 50 or more first-class matches can register at a base price of $20,000, while players with a minimum of 25 first-class matches or 18 T20 franchise leagues can register.