More Lankans for IPL

CRICKET: The Indian Premier League received a tremendous boost yesterday as top Sri Lankan cricketers including Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara decided to signed on.

The signings of these players, along with Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Farveez Maharoof and Nuwan Zoysa is the latest move from the IPL, which already announced that players like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Stephen Fleming had expressed their interest to get on board.

Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, though likely to play county cricket in England, will take part in the IPL before the English domestic season begins.

The IPL is scheduled to get underway in April next year and will feature eight franchises in the first season, with each team playing seven home and away games against one another. At the end of the 56-game regular season, the top four teams will then face off in the semifinals followed by the grand final. The tournament has a prize money of US$ 3 million, the richest purse in international cricket at the moment.