Cricket star Kumar Sangakkara will lead the Sri Lankan team in the coming International Masters League (IML) which will be held in India from 22 February to 16 March.
This will also be the first time ever that the 47-year-old former Lankan batting ace will be involved in any form of competitive cricket since his retirement from the international game 10 years ago.
Season 1 of the IML will observer the rekindling of rivalries, with all-time greats representing cricketing powerhouses like India, Sri Lanka, Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies.
The D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, and Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur will host the IML matches.
The six join in teams will be led by legendary captains, with Sachin Tendulkar heading India, Brian Lara leading the West Indies, Sangakkara captaining Sri Lanka, Shane Watson guiding Australia, Eoin Morgan at the helm for England, and Jacques Kallis leading South Africa.
IML League Commissioner Sunil Gavaskar expressed his excitement about the league, saying: “The IML promises to showcase cricket in all its glory, as it brings together some of the finest players to ever elegance the game.”
Previous year, the IML announced the formation of its Governing Council, which will include three icons and masters – Gavaskar, Vivian Richards, and Shaun Pollock.
According to the release, the trio will oversee the strategic direction, rules, and operations of the IML, confirming that the league remains a premier platform where heritage meets entertainment and the sport’s masters deliver unparalleled excitement to fans worldwide.
A pioneer in cricket and the first batter to score 10,000 runs in Tests, Gavaskar is known for his shrewd cricketing brain and commitment to the integrity of the sport.
Richards, one of the most destructive batters of all time, was an integral member of the West Indies team that dominated cricket in the 1970s and 1980s.
He was a player ahead of his time in the limited-overs game and the West Indies did not lose a single Test series under his captaincy.
Pollock, a former South African Captain and one of the most efficacious all-rounders of all time, will bring his experience and versatility to the fore as a member of the IML Governing Council.
Sinhala 
English