Some media reports have said that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) players could be banned from the Indian Premier League 2023 auction because they won’t be available for the first few games.

On Friday, March 31, Gujarat Titans (GT) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will compete in the inaugural IPL 2023. While Punjab Kings’ Bhanuka Rajapaksa is available for the entire season, Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Wanindu Hasaranga, Chennai Super Kings’ Maheesh Theekshana, and Chennai Super Kings’ Matheesha Pathirana will miss the first few games of IPL 2023.

The Lankan trio is a member of the New Zealand-based national team. The tour will come to an end with the third T20I (of a three-match series) on April 8 in Queenstown.

In addition to claiming that the Indian cricket board was considering strict action, some reports in the Sri Lankan media suggested that the BCCI is dissatisfied with players’ absence from the initial games.

Nonetheless, according to a report in Sri Lanka’s Day to day Mirror, the SLC has given NOCs to its IPL-bound players, adding that the BCCI has not communicated any kind of frustration over the matter

“We have issued the players with no objection certificates to go for the IPL after the New Zealand tour, and the BCCI have accepted it. They have not expressed any sort of displeasure in the players being unavailable for the opening few matches.”

The Daily Mirror quoted an SLC official as saying.

Some of South Africa’s most famous cricketers, in addition to those from Sri Lanka, will be absent from the IPL 2023 season. Due to the Proteas’ hosting of the Netherlands for two One-Day Internationals on March 31 and April 2, some of the initial matches won’t feature David Miller, Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, or Lungi Ngidi.

Sri Lanka cricketers impressed in IPL 2022

In IPL 2022, Hasaranga took the second most wickets. He took 26 wickets in 16 RCB matches, with one five-wicket haul and one four-for at an economy rate of 7.54 and an average of 16.53.

In nine CSK matches, Theekshana scored 12 goals and had an economy rate of 7.45 and an average of 21.75. Pathirana impressed with his speed during two games and took two wickets.

Rajapaksa, an aggressive left-handed batter, played nine PBKS matches and scored 206 runs at a strike rate of 159.68.