 | ||
| League | Lanka Premier League | |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel | ||
| Captain | Thisara Perera | |
| Coach | Carl Crowe | |
| Owner | Sagar Khanna (SKKY Group) | |
| Team information | ||
| City | Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka | |
| Colours | Pink Purple | |
| Founded | 2020: Colombo Kings 2021: Colombo Stars 2023: Colombo Strikers | |
| Home ground | R. Premadasa Stadium | |
| Capacity | 35,000 | |
| History | ||
| LPL wins | 0 | |
| ||
Colombo Strikers, formerly known as Colombo Stars and Colombo Kings, is a franchise Twenty20 cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, that competes in the Lanka Premier League. In the inaugural season, Murfad Mustafa was the owner of the franchise.[1][2] The team was supposed to be coached by former Australian cricketer Dav Whatmore.[3][4] However he pulled out ahead of the 2020 Lanka Premier League for personal reasons and was replaced by former English cricketer Kabir Ali.[5] Kabir Ali was again replaced by Herschelle Gibbs after he tested positive for COVID-19. Angelo Mathews was announced as the icon player and Andre Russell was named as the marquee foreign player.[6]In June 2021, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) terminated the franchise ahead of the 2021 Lanka Premier League, due to financial issues.[7][8]
In November 2021, the team changed its name to Colombo Stars after Softlogic Holdings PLC took over the ownership of the franchise.[9] In May 2023, LPL promoter and the chairman of IPG Group told that Softlogic Holdings PLC had part ways with Colombo Stars with mutual understanding.[10] In May 2023, the team changed its name to Colombo Strikers after SKKY Group took over the ownership.[11]
- ^ Kumarasinghe, Chathura (17 November 2020). "Faza Group to unleash Colombo Kings on LPL". ThePapare.com. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "Meet Murfad Mustafa, the Indian who owns LPL team Colombo Kings". The Week. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "Whatmore excited to return to Sri Lanka for LPL". BDCricTime. 7 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ Sanyal, S. (21 October 2020). "LPL 2020: The complete player lists for all Lanka Premier League franchises". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ "Dav Whatmore won't be joining Lanka Premier League". BDCricTime. 15 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ Scroll staff (19 October 2020). "Cricket: Gayle, du Plessis, Afridi among marquee names picked in Lanka Premier League draft". scroll.in. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ "SLC approves termination of Colombo Kings and Dambulla Viiking". CricBuzz. 26 June 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "Colombo Kings, Dambulla Viiking terminate contracts, withdraw from LPL 2021". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "Softlogic Holdings to take ownership of Colombo Franchise for LPL 2021". The Papare. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ LPL denies media reports on dispute with Softlogic NewsWire. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ "New York-based SKKY group takes over LPL Colombo franchise". Ada Derana. Retrieved 5 May 2023.