Lanka Premier League franchise Dambulla Thunders have been banned with immediate effect following the arrest of their owner Tamim Rahman in Colombo yesterday (May 22).
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A day after the LPL 2024 auction, the Lanka Premier League terminated its contract with one of the five franchises, Dambulla Thunders, after their co-owner Tamim Rahman, a British national of Bangladeshi origin, was arrested under the 2019 Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports Act, relating to corruption.
“While the specifics of the charges against Mr. Rahman remain unclear, the integrity and smooth functioning of the Lanka Premier League are of utmost importance,” Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement after Rahman’s arrest. “This termination aims to uphold the values and reputation of the LPL, ensuring that all participants adhere to the highest standards of conduct and sportsmanship.
In the LPL auction that took place a day before Rahman’s arrest, Dambulla Thunders bid US$ 80,000 for Afghanistan all-rounder Karim Janat, who became the most expensive overseas signing in the auction. Several international stars like Mustafizur Rahman, Nuwan Thushara, Akila Dananjaya, Dilshan Madushanka and others were already a part of the roster, having being retained ahead of the auction.
What happens to the Dambulla franchise now?
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As things stand now, the Dambulla franchise is without an owner and the LPL management is trying to get one onboard ahead of the start of the fifth edition from July 1.
This is not the first time that the franchise from Dambulla has faced issues with its ownership. In the five years of the existence of the league and the franchise, it has undergone three changes in owners already and a fourth one is imminent.
Last year, when they were called Dambulla Aura, the team finished runners up as Kandy won the tournament. According to Cricbuzz, an LPL official has reportedly said that if they are unable to find new owners for the franchise, the LPL management will run the team for the season, but the tournament will go on as scheduled: “The LPL will go ahead as scheduled, we will run the side if we can’t find an owner in time for the LPL. In the past, we managed two sides and we are ready to take a financial hit.”
