Captain Waseem Leads Strong UAE Presence at Lanka Premier League Draft

United Arab Emirates captain Muhammad Waseem will headline a significant UAE presence at the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 Player Draft. The draft, scheduled for June 1 in Colombo, will see franchises finalize their squads for the sixth edition of the tournament.

Tournament regulations mandate that each franchise must select at least one player from the Associate Star category. This rule places a spotlight on the UAE's cricketers, who are emerging as one of the strongest contingents from associate nations. Waseem is joined by several other UAE players, including wicketkeeper-batter Vriitya Aravind, all-rounders Basil Hameed and Aayan Afzal Khan, pacers Junaid Siddique and Zahoor Khan, batter Alishan Sharafu, and bowler Muhammad Jawadullah.

These UAE players, possessing a mix of international experience and proven Twenty20 credentials, are expected to draw considerable interest from teams looking to enhance their squads with quality talent from associate cricket nations. The UAE contingent is part of a larger pool of 421 cricketers available for selection. The LPL 2026 season itself is slated to take place from July 17 to August 18 across Colombo, Dambulla, and Pallekele.