In the last month, owner of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) team Dambulla Thunders, Tamim Rahman, who is a British national of Bangladeshi descent was arrested on allegations of match-fixing. The Dambulla franchise is being run by Bangladeshi entrepreneurs (Imperial Sports Group). And after that, LPL terminated contract with the franchise and they were looking for a new one.

Finally, they have got one. Sequoia Consultants, Inc., a major civil engineering consulting firm in Los Angeles, California, has come forward to take over the future of the LPL team, Dambulla.

The team will be run by DeSilva Holdings, which was established especially for this reason. Mr. Priyanga De Silva, a Chartered Civil Engineer and the CEO and President of Sequoia Consultants, Inc., owns the bulk of the company. Former first-class cricket player De Silva currently plays for the United States Masters Over 60 Cricket Team. He represented Sri Lanka U19 in 1983.

Along with running numerous other companies in the USA and Sri Lanka, he also serves as the head coach of the nonprofit Southern California Youth Cricket Association volunteer.

“My desire to get engaged in cricket, especially cricket in Sri Lanka, prompted me to purchase the Dambulla Sixers team,” said De Silva.

“I have seen LPL grow as a league during the last four years, which is commendable for a small country like ours. I am excited to be a part of this growth and be able to contribute to the development of cricket in our country,” he added.

The team will now be renamed as the "Dambulla Sixers" thanks to the new buyer. “We are extremely happy to have the new owner taking over Dambulla, and Mr. De Silva's background as a former first-class cricketer definitely adds value to this ownership, as he understands the cricketing pulse of our nation,” said Mr. Samantha Dodanwela, Tournament Director of the LPL.

“The new owner brings in the required stability for the Dambulla Sixers, and I am sure the new owner’s presence is going to make a huge difference to the franchise,” said Anil Mohan, CEO and Founder of IPG Sports.

The three towns of Kandy, Dambulla, and Colombo will host matches for the fifth edition of the Lanka Premier League, which is set to begin play on July 1.