Colombo, Dec 12- The official player list for the highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction has been unveiled, with a notable presence of eight Sri Lankan players among the 333 participants gearing up for the bidding war.

Scheduled to take place in Dubai on December 19, this marks the first instance of the IPL auction being held outside of India. The expansive player pool comprises 214 Indian players and 119 overseas players. Teams participating in the auction have 77 slots to fill, with a cap of 30 slots designated for overseas players.

The Sri Lankan cricketing contingent, consisting of Wanindu Hasaranga, Kusal Mendis, Dilshan Madushanka, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Dushmanta Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, and Nuwan Thushara, each enter the auction with a base price of INR 50 lakhs to INR 150 lakhs.

Earlier, all ten IPL franchises had already made strategic decisions to retain and release players for the 2024 edition. Wanindu Hasaranga and Dasun Shanaka, formerly associated with Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans, respectively, find themselves back in the auction pool after being released. Meanwhile, Bhanuka Rajapaksa has been let go by the Punjab Kings.

However, the Chennai Super Kings have chosen to retain Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana and spin bowler Mahesh Theekshana for the upcoming season.