5 players who can earn big at IPL Auction 2023 by performing well in Lanka Premier League 2022
The Lanka Premier League 2022 (LPL) got underway on Tuesday with a double-header contest in Hambantota. Defending champions Jaffna Kings started their campaign with a 24-run win against the Galle Gladiators in the first match of the competition. Later in the day, Kandy Falcons squashed the Colombo Stars by 109 runs.
Apart from the aforementioned four franchises, Dambulla Aura are also a part of the Lanka Premier League 2022. The five teams will compete against each other over the next two weeks, with the top four advancing to the playoffs. The final of the LPL 2022 will take place on December 23.
Incidentally, the IPL 2023 Auction will also take place on December 23. So the players participating in the Lanka Premier League 2022 have a golden opportunity to impress the IPL franchises with their good performances for their LPL teams.
In this listicle, we will look at five players who can earn big at the IPL 2023 Auction by performing well in LPL 2022.
#1 Kusal Mendis
Kusal Mendis is one of the top batters in Sri Lankan cricket right now. He has aggregated 1,059 runs in 49 T20Is for his nation. Mendis is the skipper of the Galle Gladiators squad in the Lanka Premier League.
The 27-year-old player opens the batting and can also keep the wickets. If he scores heaps of runs in LPL 2022, the Galle Gladiators captain could prove to be a hot commodity at the IPL 2023 Auction.
#2 Romario Shepherd
Romario Shepherd has established himself as a wicket-taking bowler in the shorter formats of cricket. The Caribbean star earned a massive contract worth ₹7.75 crore from the SunRisers Hyderabad at the IPL 2022 Mega Auction. However, he could not justify his price tag in the limited opportunities that he got.
Shepherd has a chance of earning another big deal this year if he produces top-quality performances for the Colombo Stars in the Lanka Premier League 2022.
#3 Sikandar Raza
Sikandar Raza is one of the top T20 all-rounders in world cricket at the moment. He can bat in the middle order, score quick runs and also bowl four overs of spin for his team.
Raza is likely to earn his maiden IPL contract at the upcoming auction, but a splendid showing for the Dambulla Giants could help him increase his price tag.
#4 Dasun Shanaka
Sri Lanka's T20I captain Dasun Shanaka is another player who is likely to bag his maiden IPL contract this year. But just like Sikandar Raza, Shanaka can attract interest from more franchises if he brings his 'A' game to the table in the Lanka Premier League 2022.
Both Raza and Shanaka are members of the Dambulla Giants team in the ongoing LPL tournament.
#5 Dilshan Madushanka
Dilshan Madushanka is a young left-arm fast bowler from Sri Lanka who made his T20I debut in the Asia Cup 2022. He has played six matches so far, scalping six wickets for the island nation.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma praised him after the India vs. Sri Lanka match in the Asia Cup 2022. If Madushanka impresses in the Lanka Premier League 2022 for the Jaffna Kings, he could well be playing under Rohit's captaincy for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023.