Barely three days after the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) released its second list of 18 players, the IPL responded by coming out with the names of its first high-profile signings, intensifying the recruitment battle between the two rival groups.
Apart from Jayawardane and Muralitharan, the dashing Sanath Jayasuriya, wicketkeeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara and pacemen Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Zoysa, Farveez Maharoof and Dilhara Fernando were the other players to play in the inaugural season.
The IPL had already roped in the likes of spin great Shane Warne, former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming and Aussie speedster Glen McGrath for the Twenty20 tournament, seen as a counter to the Subhash-Chandra owned Essel Group's breakaway League.
Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner of IPL said "We at the IPL are committed to enticing an entire new generation of sports fans into the grounds by showcasing some of the best cricketing talent on offer from the world over. It is in line with this philosophy that we have signed eight of the current Sri Lankan squad. We are also in talks with some of the finest players in the International cricketing arena. I promise Indian fans that the IPL will truly be one of the finest cricketing leagues anywhere in the world."
The BCCI had recently launched the IPL to be played in the globally popular Twenty20 format, offering a whopping USD 3 million as prize money. The Champions League, which will feature the two tops teams from the four participating countries, has a prize money of USD 5 million.
In stark contrast, the ICL has a winner's purse of USD one million with West Indies batting great Brian Lara and former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq being the star recruits.
"T20 cricket is an exciting new format for both cricket players and fans. We are all thrilled to be joining the IPL, an innovative venture that has the potential to fuel crickets growth around the world during the coming years. We are looking forward to making our mark in the league," Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene was quoted as saying in a press release.
The IPL, scheduled for an April 2008 launch, will feature eight franchises in the first season, with each team playing seven home and away games against one another.
It would be a 56-game regular season to determine the four finalists, who would then face off in the semi-finals.
A Grand-Final would be played toward the end of April next culminating in a clash of the two best club sides in India. The IPL hopes to grow the eight franchises to sixteen by 2010.
All of the IPL matches will be played under lights at BCCI designated stadiums across the country.
Each franchise would have a playing squad of 16 players comprising BCCI registered players drawn from a central contract pool of Indian players.
Each IPL team will also feature both under 21 players and designated players per team. The designated players could well be contracted from the Indian national team or overseas contracted players, marking the entry of these professionals into Indian domestic cricket for the first time.