Dambulla Viikings (DV) one of the franchises in the competition at the upcoming Lanka Premier League(LPL), which is to get into action next Thursday at the MRICS, Hambanthota, is yet to finalize their skipper and the 21-member squad.
With a vision of hard work, innovation and teamwork (DV), they rely on these three pillars to build their squad for the upcoming inaugural LPL. The DV 21-man squad is vanguard by their head coach former England cricketer Owais Shah, who presume that they consist of some skilled Sri Lankan talent, international experience, and youthful exuberance.
Captain is to be officially named for the team which consist of some enthralling cricketers like Dasun Shanaka, Upul Tharanga and Ireland international Paul Stirling.
The DV squad consists of three players who have captained their sides at international competitions. This strong player base is supplemented by the considerable international experience of players such as Niroshan Dickwella, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha, Afghanistan duo Aftab Alam and Samiullah Shinwari, and veterans Anwar Ali from Pakistan, India’s Sudeep Tyagi and Englishman Samit Patel.
The team’s promising Sri Lankan youngsters are Ashen Bandara, Kavindu Nadeeshan, Ramesh Mendis, Sachindu Colombage, Dilshan Madushanka and Pulina Tharanga. While possessing a wealth of international talent, the team nevertheless is built around a strong Sri Lankan players Shanaka, Dickwella, Oshada Fernando and Tharanga. Dambulla have four batsmen who have delivered at the highest level, while the big-hitting offered by the likes of Stirling, Patel, Shinwari and Lahiru Madushanka. Angelo Perera and Mendis will add more firepower for DV in their batting department.
The bowling department will be spearheaded by the express Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha, who are becoming mainstays in the national team setup, supported by bowlers of the caliber of Ali, Alam and Tyagi, who are capable of swinging and seaming the ball boasts many strings in its fast-bowling bow.
In the spin-bowling department, Malinda Pushpakumara will lead the way. The veteran left-arm spinner has taken an astonishing 793 first-class wickets in his career. Aiding him will be Shinwari and Patel, who will also no doubt.
Crucially many of DV’s bowlers are more than capable with the bat, which will give head coach Shah a tough task ahead when putting the team together. “We have a great blend of youth and experience, with a lot of complementary skill sets. Once the tournament starts and each team's strengths and weaknesses become clearer. Nevertheless, we are confident of being able to field a strong XI in every game,” said Shah. Dambulla will play their first match of the tournament on November 28 against the Kandy Tuskers.
The squad: Dasun Shanaka, Samiullah Shenwari, Anwar Ali,Samit Patel, Niroshan Dickwella (WK),Lahiru Kumara, Oshada Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Sudeep Tyagi, Paul Stirling, Lahiru Madushanka, Upul Tharanga, Angelo Perera, Ramesh Mendis, Pulina Tharanga, Malinda Pushpakumara, Aftab Alam, Ashen Bandara, Dilshan Madushanka, Kavindu Nadeeshan and Sachindu Colombage. (AN)
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