Sanjana Ganesan’s sleek black look

Jasprit Bumrah’s wife and sports broadcaster Sanjana Ganesan turned up the style quotient with her recent Instagram post. Ganesan shared this photograph, wearing a black sleeveless waistcoat with a floral pattern teamed up with black trousers, to her 2.2 million Instagram followers. Fans were quick to laud her style, with one social media user saying, “The fit is wow,” while another said: “Absolutely beautiful.”

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Vedant Gore (SoBo Mumbai Falcons): Only 15, the leg-spinner impressed with his maturity, bowling in pressure situations and picking five wickets across five matches. In a batsman-dominated format, Gore went at 6.78 an over, the seventh best economy in TML.

Nutan Goel (Triumph Knights MNE): The 20-year-old right-handed batsman finished as TML’s third highest run-getter, 242 runs from five innings, with two fifties. He won the Best Emerging Player of TML.

Prasoon Singh (Arcs Andheri): Only 17 years, the Arcs Andheri off-spinner caught the eye with his guile, picking up nine wickets at 10.56 and an economy of 6.33. Prasoon did well to give his team vital breakthroughs and snap key partnerships.

Ajit Yadav (Aakash Tigers MWS): An ideal T20 player with the right maturity and game awareness, the 24-year-old left-handed middle-order batter scored back-to-back fifties to take his team into the semis. He can contribute with some vital off-spin too besides being a fine fielder.

Maxwell Swaminathan (MSC Maratha Royals): The 27-year-old is an off-spinning all-rounder, who can hit sixes, and take brilliant catches. Besides bowling some accurate off-spin, he also effected close run-outs with his fine fielding, helping his team retain the TML title.

The sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) is set to get underway on July 17, with this season poised to be bigger and more exciting than ever before. For the first time, matches will be played across four venues, expanding from the three-host format used in previous editions. The tournament will culminate with the grand finale at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on August 8.

With just 30 days remaining before the opening game, Sri Lanka Cricket officials and Tournament Director Samantha Dodanwela are working tirelessly to ensure the event is a resounding success. In an exclusive conversation with RevSportz, Dodanwela shared his insights and expectations for the sixth season of the LPL. Here are excerpts from the interview:

How do you see the league evolving over the past couple of years?
Samantha Dodanwela: We were unable to hold it last year due to the World Cup and a few other commitments, so I’m very excited to be here. We are looking forward to conducting a very good tournament this year. We have already completed the player draft, which went extremely well and was very successful. With about 40 days to go, we have already started the planning process, and the teams are eagerly waiting to showcase what they can offer during this year’s league.

Can you tell us about the challenges the Lanka Premier League has faced over the last few years?
Dodanwela: As you know, we started this league back in 2020. Just as we were about to commence the tournament, we faced the COVID-19 pandemic. While the entire world was shutting down, Sri Lanka was successful in conducting the tournament in a secure environment. I believe that was a significant achievement for us.

The following year was similar, with numerous restrictions imposed by the government. Nevertheless, we continued. Then, in 2022, while preparations were progressing smoothly, Sri Lanka experienced an economic crisis just a month before the player draft. There was a severe fuel shortage and a lack of foreign currency, forcing us to postpone the league from July to December.

Although we managed to conduct a successful tournament, some of the top players who had originally signed up were unable to participate due to scheduling conflicts. We also lost some sponsors because of the economic situation. However, since then, things have steadily improved. The 2023 tournament was very successful, and 2024 was the best among the five editions we have held. I’m proud of how the league has progressed and am looking forward to an even better event this year.

Tell us about your partnership with IPG Group, which has been associated with several global T20 leagues, including the Caribbean Premier League.
Dodanwela: IPG has been with us since the inception of the Lanka Premier League. When we initially sought an event rights partner, IPG was the company that came forward and supported us. Throughout all the challenges and obstacles we faced as a country, they delivered consistently.

I must give them credit for standing by the league through difficult times. We are looking forward to making this year even better than the previous five editions. A big thank you to IPG for their continued support since the beginning.

What are your plans regarding fan engagement and attracting spectators to the stadiums?
Dodanwela: We have planned numerous activities beyond just cricket. We believe these additional engagements will help attract more fans to the stadiums. We have a comprehensive plan leading up to the tournament and are introducing several new initiatives.

In all the host cities, we have planned community engagement activities, CSR projects and other events. I’m confident that these efforts will encourage larger crowds to attend and enjoy the tournament.

Why did you opt for a player draft this year instead of the traditional auction?
Dodanwela: When we started the league in 2020, we used a player draft system, which continued through 2021 and 2022. In 2023, I proposed moving to an auction because I am very familiar with that system. By profession, I am a tea taster and auctioneer. I have conducted tea auctions for many years and understand the rules and processes involved.

I presented the idea to the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket, and they supported it. The auction turned out to be highly successful, and we continued with it for two years. This year, however, some team owners suggested returning to the player draft, so we decided to do so. That said, I believe we may move back to the auction system in the future.

What challenges does the Lanka Premier League face regarding player participation and scheduling, considering the number of global T20 leagues around the world?
Dodanwela: That is certainly one of our biggest challenges. Throughout the cricket calendar, there are numerous leagues and bilateral series taking place. We need to identify the best possible window while minimising clashes with other competitions.

As the league director, I would ideally prefer a month-long window. However, we currently operate within a period of about 20 to 25 days. Within that limitation, we have scheduled our fixtures as effectively as possible. We hope that in the future we can secure a larger window and avoid scheduling conflicts with other tournaments.

What impact has the Lanka Premier League had on Sri Lankan cricket, tourism and the national economy?
Dodanwela: From a cricketing perspective, our primary objective is to provide young cricketers with a platform to showcase their talent on a global stage. This helps us build a strong second string of players, which is crucial for any cricketing nation. Several players who have featured in the national team have emerged through the LPL.

In terms of tourism, the league serves as an excellent platform to showcase Sri Lanka to the world. Overseas players, along with their families, often travel around the country during their stay. Many share their experiences on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and X. This exposure effectively promotes Sri Lanka globally.

While the tourism sector spends significant resources marketing the country, the visibility generated through these players often comes naturally and free of charge. It is a fantastic opportunity to highlight what Sri Lanka has to offer.

Finally, have you considered appointing a brand ambassador for this year’s edition of the Lanka Premier League?
Dodanwela: Yes, we have. However, I do not want to reveal too much at this moment. We have already signed two iconic former international cricketers from overseas who will be associated with the league. I’ll keep their identities a surprise for now, but the announcement will be made very soon.

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India` spin department is in "transition", and the team management is in the process of assessing a pool of young bowlers who can potentially graduate to a higher level, said spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule here on Tuesday. With R Ashwin retired and Ravindra Jadeja being rested to manage his workload, younger names such as Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar and Zeeshan Ansari are set to get opportunities in the coming months. In the first ODI against Afghanistan, left-arm spinner Dubey was given a chance ahead of the more seasoned Kuldeep Yadav, and he returned with three wickets from five wickets, conceding 47 runs.

"This is a transition time for spinners," Bahutule said ahead of India`s second ODI against Afghanistan. "This group of spinners, the selectors, Gautam (Gambhir) and everybody, they are having a look at all the spinners. Those who have the potential, those who have the right attributes, they will definitely be given a chance. "That is what the process is. In a transition, you have to identify the right bowler. That is what the process is at the moment. I am sure we will get the right people on board," he added. Bahutule, who joined as the spin bowling coach ahead of the ongoing series, has been brought in specifically to mentor this raw spin bowlers group. The former leg-spinner has extensive coaching experience across domestic, pathway, and franchise cricket.

"For me, every spinner is unique. I think Jadeja is very experienced. The way he has performed and the way he has contributed towards Indian cricket is phenomenal with the bat and the ball. I feel Harsh and other youngsters who are coming in and have been given the chances, will realise that it is a big shoes to fill up. "They have the capabilities, they have the potential but I think the more they will play, the more they will settle down. Harsh is a player who definitely has that potential," he said. Bahutule singled out Dubey for special praise, underlining the bright future ahead of the Vidarbha all-rounder. "Harsh definitely has a good future as an all-rounder, he has done exceedingly well for Vidarbha and I think that is the reason why he has been given this opportunity."

Dubey was the highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season with 69 wickets. "With each game we learn. Last game also he was under pressure after that first over but the way he came back, I think Shubman (Gill) also used him very well, made the right changes at the right time, and gave him the ends which suited him." The domestic stalwart said such experiences will instil more confidence in Dubey. "I think he (Dubey) is one player for the future, he has got the skills, he has got a good temperament and I think he has proved it not only in domestic cricket but I think that one game which he got last time, he came back very strongly and did very well. "The more experience he gets and definitely he will enhance his skill," he said.

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