This profile will be on the Dambulla Viiking. They were the semi-finalists last time round and so are a pretty competitive and steady team.
Introduction
With the first edition of the Sri Lankan Premier League, in 2012. Sri Lankans fans were very excited for their very own national league. A national league is always very close to every citizen’s heart. Thus, everyone was anticipating a very spirited and interesting league and it was delivered. The first edition ended with Uva Next bagging the title. Hence, fans were even more thrilled and couldn’t wait for the next edition. However, to everyone’s disappointment, it was announced that the SLPL was canceled and so the fans of the league were left dejected.
Then to the fans’ utmost happiness, The Super 4’s T20 replaced the Sri Lanka Premier League. It started in 2014. However, it too was canceled after only one season.
Finally, after all these cancellations, the Sri Lanka Cricket decided to give the concept one more try. The board announced the Lanka Premier League that would begin in 2020. Just last year, the first edition of the Premier League was played. Without a doubt, we can say that fans were really happy with this League and enjoyed it to the fullest.
Team analysis
Dambulla is a team with an obvious local strength. Their biggest overseas players are Ireland’s Paul Stirling and Afghanistani star Samiullah Shinwari. In fact, the biggest stars in their side are strong local players: Niroshan Dickwella, Upul Tharanga, Oshada Fernando, Dasun Shanaka, and Lahiru Kumara forms the spine of the side. Overall, Dambulla does not seem like anyone’s favorites for the trophy, given that they lack overseas talent. However, they do have a strong core of local players, both experienced and young rising stars. They’ve clicked extremely well and have surprised many watchers.
Where can I watch the LPL?
Watching LPL from Sri Lanka
To watch the LPL from Sri Lanka tune into ITN (Independent Television Network) which has secured the local terrestrial rights to broadcast.
Watching LPL from India
You can watch the LPL on your TV, in India, as Sony Six and Sony Six HD have bought rights to broadcast live coverage of LPL – Lankan Premier League 2020. They will also stream it in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, and Nepal. All matches will be streamed live on the SonyLiv digital platform (Website, App).
Watching LPL from other countries in Asia
PTV Sports and Geo Super (Geo TV) are the popular cricket broadcasters in Pakistan for all the International, Domestic, and T20 Leagues played around the world. Cricket viewers in Pakistan can tune to any of these TV channels and their digital platforms. They can also tune into the app or website, for online streaming. Pakistan’s state broadcaster, PTV, will also broadcast the LPL for Pakistani viewers. Cricket fans from Bangladesh can tune into LPL matches from a live broadcast on Gazi TV (GTV).
Watching LPL from UK and USA
In the UK and Ireland, Sky Sports will be broadcasting all LPL matches. All matches of the 2020 LPL will be shown live on Sky Sports after the company acquired the UK and Ireland TV broadcast rights for the tournament. UK viewers will have the facilities to watch all matches exclusively live on Sky Sports. Cricket viewers in the United States can watch Lankan Premier League live coverage on Willow TV. Canadian viewers can watch LPL on Willow TV.
Watching LPL from Africa and the Caribbean
To watch the LPL from the Caribbean, you should tune into FlowSports, as they have acquired the rights to broadcast it. In South Africa, SuperSport will telecast live coverage of the Lankan Premier League; all matches will also be live-streamed on the SuperSport Website and App.
Watching LPL from MENA
BeIN Sports have attained the TV rights to broadcast live coverage of LPL 2020 in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Countries, here is the list – Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, and Yemen. Mainly, BeIN is the channel to tune to if you wish to watch the LPL.
Other countries are listed in the Official Broadcasters List.
How can I watch the LPL for free?
CricHD
CricHD is an excellent option if you’re looking for a free alternative to watch live cricket matches. It streams all LPL matches and for free. Once you open the site, you’ll see all matches that are being live-streamed at the moment. You can search for any live streams as well as search for past streams. Another fun feature is you can make a free account and partake in the live chat box, this way you’ll be able to communicate with other LPL viewers. There may be several pop-up ads so you need to cautious with those.
Crictime
Similarly, Crictime is another free live streaming website. It works similarly to CricHD. It has a user-friendly interface which makes it extremely accessible. So you get free cricket and it’s easy to use. We would recommend checking out this website if you’re still looking for a free alternative. Like every other free streaming site, it has pop-up ads that can be annoying, but anything for free cricket!
Smartcric
The cricket live streaming on Smartcric is, to the relief of all cricket fans, free. And second of all, the quality of the stream is top-notch HD quality. You can watch all the matches in 720P and 1080P High-Definition quality. It won’t buffer a lot as well, since, Smartcric allows smooth live streaming of cricket matches in HD. Another, reliable site as it streams all LPL matches.
WebCric
If you’re unable to afford expensive subscriptions, WebCric is your go-to solution. It streams all LPL matches for free. It has a user-friendly interface which makes it easy to use and it has smooth streaming with not much buffering. This makes it an excellent alternative.
Key players
Paul Stirling
As one of the few overseas players, he will have a huge responsibility on his shoulders. Stirling has been around for a while now and will be the leading light of this Dambulla Viiking side. In a team that, on the face of it, lacks players who are adept at power-hitting, a facet of the game that’s ever-important in T20s, Stirling will be among the few players who can do that from the off, and lay a strong foundation for Dambulla Viking.
Niroshan Dickwella
Dickwella is the biggest domestic player in the Dambulla setup. His at times unorthodox, aggressive mode of batting will give the Dambulla batting line-up some impetus. He will definitely give the batting order a cutting edge that will help Dambulla Viiking put some solid runs on the board.
Samit Patel
An overall balanced all-rounder, Samit Patel will definitely bring lots to the table. He usually does well in premier leagues and he will continue to show off his skills in the LPL too. Samite Patel is definitely a great pick for the Dambulla Viiking.
We hope you found this profile on the Dambulla Viiking insightful. Stay tuned to Sports404 for more updates on your favorite teams.
