Cricket
Tharanga to play for Lalitpur Patriots
The Sri Lankan left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman is one among the three mandatory foreign players of Patriots for the 2020 edition of the tournament scheduled to kick-start at the TU Grounds from March 14.Prarambha Dahal
Lalitpur Patriots, the defending champions of the Everest Premier League Twenty20 tournament, have signed Upul Tharanga from Sri Lanka.
"The Sri Lankan left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman is one among the three mandatory foreign players of Patriots for the 2020 edition of the tournament scheduled to kick-start at the TU Grounds from March 14," said a statement issued by the EPL.
Tharanga played in Sri Lanka's Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 sides before representing their senior team in the international cricket arena. He had also captained Sri Lanka's One Day side in 21 occasions while shouldering the responsibility in six Twenty20 Internationals.
The 34-year-old Sri Lankan is the second batsman in the world, next to the former Australian captain and legend Ricky Ponting, to be involved with 200+ partnerships in One Day Internationals on seven occasions.
“I am honoured to be a part of Lalitpur Patriots family for the 2020 edition of EPL. Glad to be part of Nepal’s growing cricket culture and wish to be involved in the years to come," Tharanga was quoted by the statement. "On top of everything, can’t wait to explore the beauty of Nepal. I am all set to share my knowledge to the younger generation of Nepali cricketers.”
Kishore Maharjan, owner of the Patriots, said, "Tharanga is a terrific addition to our squad. In addition to being an explosive opening batsman, he is a good wicketkeeper as well. His inclusion will strike the right balance in the team."
"We are sure that he will provide guidance to our youngsters by sharing his experiences with our boys in the dressing room," Maharjan said. "Our boys are surely going to learn a lot from a cricketer of his stature."
Prior to this, another EPL side Bhairahawa Gladiators had announced the signing of former West Indies international Dwayne Smith.