'Disappointing and Disheartening': Sangakkara, Jayawardene Lament Lack Of Sri Lankan Presence In IPL

Former Sri Lanka cricket stars Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, who occupy major off-field roles for Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians respectively in the Indian Premier League (IPL), have b

Jayawardene, on the other hand, said that the auction saw the demand for bowlers and bowling all-rounders which Sri Lanka don't have.

"It is disappointing and disheartening... I think a few guys were on the radar, but it is a tough place because we are looking at 20-odd slots for overseas players, and the majority of those slots were for the fast bowlers and all-rounders. Sri Lanka lacks a bit of that," Jayawardene told the media.

"IPL is the place where you try and get the best players in world cricket, and it's a good message for the Sri Lankan cricketers to lift their game and be competitive so that they could be part of the IPL on their merit," the former captain added.