Kumar Sangakkara
Technique and temperament sum up Kings XI Punjab wicketkeeper-batsman. 'Sanga' belongs to a rare breed of cricketers who are poised with both grace and flamboyance. His role in the Kings XI Punjab side is that of a sheet-anchor and not to mention that he performs it to perfection. Behind the stumps, Sangakkara is a livewire. His understanding of the game is unparallel and as captain of the Sri Lankan side he has proven that there is a great head on those shoulders.
BAW Mendis
Ajantha Mendis was a relatively unknown entity in the first season of the IPL when he managed just the one outing for the Kolkata Knight Riders. However, after establishing a reputation by picking up wickets at the international level and becoming the quickest to get to the 50-wickets mark in ODIs, Mendis got a few more opportunities in IPL Season 2. He couldn't quite live up to the hype and reputation and only managed three wickets in four matches. A soldier by profession, Mendis is quite a dangerous customer; he can bowl the off-break, leg-break, top-spinner, googly and flippers, and most importantly bowl all of them without too much change in his bowling action. He has also developed this mystery ball - which is these days termed the 'cannon ball', which is released with a snap of the fingers and darts off the surface, and which has been successful even against the best of batsmen. He has been outstanding in T20 internationals so far, but hasn't quite translated the promise in the IPL, and will be hoping he can help turn around Kolkata Knight Riders' fortunes in the coming season.
AD Mathews
An upcoming all-rounder, Angelo Mathews has shown the world what he is capable of using the few opportunities he has had to play for Sri Lanka. A right hand batsmen who usually bats lower down the order, Mathews is a busy player who always keeps the scoreboard ticking and is capable of playing the lusty blows if the need arises. He bowls at a lively pace, and slips in the slower one every once in a while; his slower bouncer has deceived even the best of batsmen. He is a wonderful athlete, fields well close-in and in the out-field, and is a safe catcher. He has so far only played the one match for the Kolkata Knight Riders, and will be hoping he can add to his caps in IPL 2010
DPMD Jayawardene
The middle-order batsman is elegance personified. Mahela Jayawardene is a technically correct batsman and adds much value to the team. A team-man to the core, Jayawardene has the ability to guide his team to safe waters in troubled times. When on song, Jayawardene is a cricket fan's delight. He bats with such grace and precision that one is left spellbound. His rich experience would come in handy for his skipper Kumar Sangakkar who is also his team mate and former captain from Sri Lanka.
M Muralidaran
The leading wicket-taker in international cricket - that is as succinct an introduction one can possibly find for Muttiah Muralidaran. Despite his unorthodox action, Muralidaran has excelled on all kinds of surfaces - so much so that several experts say he can spin the ball on glass. He has been Sri Lanka's number one spinner for years now, and despite being in the twilight of his career, he is just as enthusiastic as the younger brigade and has really taken to the twenty-over format. He finished Chennai Super Kings' leading wicket-taker in the second edition of the IPL, taking 14 wickets at an average of 18.64 and continues to be as miserly as he has been over the years.
T Thushara
A left-handed medium pacer, Thilan Thushara has come through the ranks in Sri Lankan cricket. From making his first-class debut at 1998-99, to spending time at the Sri Lankan cricket board's fast bowling academy, Thushara has steadily improved. One who can be more than a handful on seaming tracks, Thushara is a capable lower-order batsman as well and was signed up by the Chennai Super Kings for $140,000 ahead of second Season of the IPL. He didn't quite get too many opportunities in the second season in South Africa, but will be hoping he will get many more outings in the coming season.
NLTC Perera
An unknown in the world of international cricket barely six months ago, Thissara Perera has made the most of the opportunity that came his way thanks to unfortunate injuries to fellow Sri Lankans during the tour of India in 2009. He gladly accepted the opportunity with both hands and quickly established a reputation for himself as a very dangerous limited overs cricketer. A tidy medium-pacer who can bowl a nagging line and length and frustrate the batsmen, Perera is most dangerous when equipped with the willow. Perera embodies all the characteristics of a good all-rounder; his batting average is better than his bowling average. His batting strike rate is close to 100 even in the four-day format and his economy rate is fairly meagre too. Another astonishing figure would be the quantum of runs Perera scores through boundaries; the kind of player who can bludgeon the ball and send it a long way, the 20-year old has scored over 60% of the runs in his brief career through boundaries and sixes. The budding all-rounder was the only Sri Lankan to be signed up at the IPL Auction 2010; he was bought by the Chennai Super Kings for $50,000 and will be playing alongside fellow Sri Lankans Muttiah Muralidaran, Thilan Thushara and Chamara Kapugedera.
WPUJC Vaas
Tagged as the most successful bowler Sri Lanka has seen, Vaas has an arsenal of bowling techniques - reverse-swing, off-cutters, dippers - that have been perfected over the years and can shatter the opposition. His skill with the bat is equally impressive.
CRD Fernando
The third Sri Lankan in the Mumbai Indians squad and probably the most underestimated of them all, Dilhara Fernando has become Mumbai Indians' fallback bowling option, only utilised when injury strikes the camp. But Fernando's ability with the ball can't be under-rated; he can bowl at a good pace, has the ability to generate disconcerting bounce, and can slip in the split-finger slower delivery which more often than not deceives batsmen. Having fallen down the pecking order with the Mumbai franchise in the past, Fernando might find some more playing time with new coach Robin Singh at the helm of affairs. He has so far only featured in five matches, but has picked up ten wickets in those five outings. He will be hoping to add to that wickets tally in the forthcoming season and in the process, guide his team towards success.
SL Malinga
Young, fast and very difficult to play, Lasith Malinga is more than a handful with the ball in his hand. In an era where coaches emphasise correct technique - an upright wrist, proper landing of the front foot and a pulley-like action of the leading arm - Malinga possesses everything but the technique recommended by coaching manuals. His slingy action is tricky to decipher; he releases the ball from almost in front of the umpire's face, and combined with pace and unpredictable bounce, he becomes a batsman's nightmare. After missing the inaugural season of the IPL with a knee injury, he was at his devastating best in the second season in South Africa. His sense of fashion is almost as emphatic as his out-of-the-box action.
ST Jayasuriya
He may be the oldest man in the competition, but Sanath Jayasuriya continues to be the go-to man when the task is to post unbelievable scores or to chase down record-breaking targets. A clean hitter of the cricket ball, Jayasuriya can rip the best of bowlers apart when on song. He scored 514 runs for the Mumbai Indians at an astonishing average of close to 43 in the first season, and with cat-like reflexes, agility that defies his age and a heart as big as a lion's, Jayasuriya is a complete champion. His bat does so much of the talking that his bowling is often overlooked. Four wickets in the first edition combined with seven in the second, proves that the wily Sri Lankan is full of surprises.
TM Dilshan
The Sri Lankan ace is among those who can thank the advent of the Indian Premier League - and the confidence that it gave him - for reviving his international career. Taking on greater responsibility during Virender Sehwag's absence in some games of IPL 2009 in South Africa, he showed that he could play the attacking game at the top of the order with panache. He has also been credited with creating a new stroke - a scoop over the wicket-keeper's head - commonly referred to as the 'dilscoop'. Superb between the wickets, he is easily among the world's best fielders and a pretty handy bowler too. He was quite easily the star of the ICC World Twenty20 in England, though Sri Lanka finished runners-up to Pakistan.
MF Maharoof
An exciting fast-bowling all-rounder, Maharoof bowls with an upright, open-chested action. He was picked in the national squad for the Zimbabwe tour thanks to his performance in the Under-19 circuit. In the Champions Trophy in India, his 6 for 14 contributed to West Indies' rout at 80. Part of Delhi Daredevils' squad in the IPL's first season, he performed well as a batsman as well as bowler.
Technique and temperament sum up Kings XI Punjab wicketkeeper-batsman. 'Sanga' belongs to a rare breed of cricketers who are poised with both grace and flamboyance. His role in the Kings XI Punjab side is that of a sheet-anchor and not to mention that he performs it to perfection. Behind the stumps, Sangakkara is a livewire. His understanding of the game is unparallel and as captain of the Sri Lankan side he has proven that there is a great head on those shoulders.
BAW Mendis
Ajantha Mendis was a relatively unknown entity in the first season of the IPL when he managed just the one outing for the Kolkata Knight Riders. However, after establishing a reputation by picking up wickets at the international level and becoming the quickest to get to the 50-wickets mark in ODIs, Mendis got a few more opportunities in IPL Season 2. He couldn't quite live up to the hype and reputation and only managed three wickets in four matches. A soldier by profession, Mendis is quite a dangerous customer; he can bowl the off-break, leg-break, top-spinner, googly and flippers, and most importantly bowl all of them without too much change in his bowling action. He has also developed this mystery ball - which is these days termed the 'cannon ball', which is released with a snap of the fingers and darts off the surface, and which has been successful even against the best of batsmen. He has been outstanding in T20 internationals so far, but hasn't quite translated the promise in the IPL, and will be hoping he can help turn around Kolkata Knight Riders' fortunes in the coming season.
AD Mathews
An upcoming all-rounder, Angelo Mathews has shown the world what he is capable of using the few opportunities he has had to play for Sri Lanka. A right hand batsmen who usually bats lower down the order, Mathews is a busy player who always keeps the scoreboard ticking and is capable of playing the lusty blows if the need arises. He bowls at a lively pace, and slips in the slower one every once in a while; his slower bouncer has deceived even the best of batsmen. He is a wonderful athlete, fields well close-in and in the out-field, and is a safe catcher. He has so far only played the one match for the Kolkata Knight Riders, and will be hoping he can add to his caps in IPL 2010
DPMD Jayawardene
The middle-order batsman is elegance personified. Mahela Jayawardene is a technically correct batsman and adds much value to the team. A team-man to the core, Jayawardene has the ability to guide his team to safe waters in troubled times. When on song, Jayawardene is a cricket fan's delight. He bats with such grace and precision that one is left spellbound. His rich experience would come in handy for his skipper Kumar Sangakkar who is also his team mate and former captain from Sri Lanka.
M Muralidaran
The leading wicket-taker in international cricket - that is as succinct an introduction one can possibly find for Muttiah Muralidaran. Despite his unorthodox action, Muralidaran has excelled on all kinds of surfaces - so much so that several experts say he can spin the ball on glass. He has been Sri Lanka's number one spinner for years now, and despite being in the twilight of his career, he is just as enthusiastic as the younger brigade and has really taken to the twenty-over format. He finished Chennai Super Kings' leading wicket-taker in the second edition of the IPL, taking 14 wickets at an average of 18.64 and continues to be as miserly as he has been over the years.
T Thushara
A left-handed medium pacer, Thilan Thushara has come through the ranks in Sri Lankan cricket. From making his first-class debut at 1998-99, to spending time at the Sri Lankan cricket board's fast bowling academy, Thushara has steadily improved. One who can be more than a handful on seaming tracks, Thushara is a capable lower-order batsman as well and was signed up by the Chennai Super Kings for $140,000 ahead of second Season of the IPL. He didn't quite get too many opportunities in the second season in South Africa, but will be hoping he will get many more outings in the coming season.
NLTC Perera
An unknown in the world of international cricket barely six months ago, Thissara Perera has made the most of the opportunity that came his way thanks to unfortunate injuries to fellow Sri Lankans during the tour of India in 2009. He gladly accepted the opportunity with both hands and quickly established a reputation for himself as a very dangerous limited overs cricketer. A tidy medium-pacer who can bowl a nagging line and length and frustrate the batsmen, Perera is most dangerous when equipped with the willow. Perera embodies all the characteristics of a good all-rounder; his batting average is better than his bowling average. His batting strike rate is close to 100 even in the four-day format and his economy rate is fairly meagre too. Another astonishing figure would be the quantum of runs Perera scores through boundaries; the kind of player who can bludgeon the ball and send it a long way, the 20-year old has scored over 60% of the runs in his brief career through boundaries and sixes. The budding all-rounder was the only Sri Lankan to be signed up at the IPL Auction 2010; he was bought by the Chennai Super Kings for $50,000 and will be playing alongside fellow Sri Lankans Muttiah Muralidaran, Thilan Thushara and Chamara Kapugedera.
WPUJC Vaas
Tagged as the most successful bowler Sri Lanka has seen, Vaas has an arsenal of bowling techniques - reverse-swing, off-cutters, dippers - that have been perfected over the years and can shatter the opposition. His skill with the bat is equally impressive.
CRD Fernando
The third Sri Lankan in the Mumbai Indians squad and probably the most underestimated of them all, Dilhara Fernando has become Mumbai Indians' fallback bowling option, only utilised when injury strikes the camp. But Fernando's ability with the ball can't be under-rated; he can bowl at a good pace, has the ability to generate disconcerting bounce, and can slip in the split-finger slower delivery which more often than not deceives batsmen. Having fallen down the pecking order with the Mumbai franchise in the past, Fernando might find some more playing time with new coach Robin Singh at the helm of affairs. He has so far only featured in five matches, but has picked up ten wickets in those five outings. He will be hoping to add to that wickets tally in the forthcoming season and in the process, guide his team towards success.
SL Malinga
Young, fast and very difficult to play, Lasith Malinga is more than a handful with the ball in his hand. In an era where coaches emphasise correct technique - an upright wrist, proper landing of the front foot and a pulley-like action of the leading arm - Malinga possesses everything but the technique recommended by coaching manuals. His slingy action is tricky to decipher; he releases the ball from almost in front of the umpire's face, and combined with pace and unpredictable bounce, he becomes a batsman's nightmare. After missing the inaugural season of the IPL with a knee injury, he was at his devastating best in the second season in South Africa. His sense of fashion is almost as emphatic as his out-of-the-box action.
ST Jayasuriya
He may be the oldest man in the competition, but Sanath Jayasuriya continues to be the go-to man when the task is to post unbelievable scores or to chase down record-breaking targets. A clean hitter of the cricket ball, Jayasuriya can rip the best of bowlers apart when on song. He scored 514 runs for the Mumbai Indians at an astonishing average of close to 43 in the first season, and with cat-like reflexes, agility that defies his age and a heart as big as a lion's, Jayasuriya is a complete champion. His bat does so much of the talking that his bowling is often overlooked. Four wickets in the first edition combined with seven in the second, proves that the wily Sri Lankan is full of surprises.
TM Dilshan
The Sri Lankan ace is among those who can thank the advent of the Indian Premier League - and the confidence that it gave him - for reviving his international career. Taking on greater responsibility during Virender Sehwag's absence in some games of IPL 2009 in South Africa, he showed that he could play the attacking game at the top of the order with panache. He has also been credited with creating a new stroke - a scoop over the wicket-keeper's head - commonly referred to as the 'dilscoop'. Superb between the wickets, he is easily among the world's best fielders and a pretty handy bowler too. He was quite easily the star of the ICC World Twenty20 in England, though Sri Lanka finished runners-up to Pakistan.
MF Maharoof
An exciting fast-bowling all-rounder, Maharoof bowls with an upright, open-chested action. He was picked in the national squad for the Zimbabwe tour thanks to his performance in the Under-19 circuit. In the Champions Trophy in India, his 6 for 14 contributed to West Indies' rout at 80. Part of Delhi Daredevils' squad in the IPL's first season, he performed well as a batsman as well as bowler.
