As many as 12 Indian cricketers, including the likes of Munaf Patel [ Images ] and Ravichandran Ashwin, are expected to feature in the first edition of the Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL) scheduled to commence from July 19.

According to a report in islandcricket.com, Sri Lanka [ Images ] Cricket (SLC) has secured the services of several prominent overseas cricketers, including Chris Gayle [ Images ] and Kieron Pollard, who are currently engaged in the Indian Premier League [ Images ] (IPL). 

Apart from Gayle, whose blistering strokeplay has put the Royal Challengers [ Images ] Bangalore at the top of the points table in the fourth edition of the IPL, SLPL is also expected to feature Daniel Vettori [ Images ], whose IPL journey was cut short after a recurring knee injury. 

Among the Indian players on the SLPL radar, the inclusion of Patel and Ashwin besides Praveen Kumar [ Images ], who was recently selected for the West Indies [ Images ] tour after missing the World Cup due to an elbow injury, comes as a surprise as the trio is likely to be on national duty during that period.

India is scheduled to visit England [ Images ] during the month of July for a four-match Test series followed by a one-day tournament and a one-off Twenty20 [ Images ] match. 

The other Indian players who figure in the list posted by the website include Dinesh Karthik [ Images ], Irfan Pathan [ Images ], Manish Pandey [ Images ], Manoj Tiwary, Paul Valthaty, Ravindra Jadeja [ Images ], Saurabh Tiwary [ Images ], Umesh Yadav and Vinay Kumar. 

The list, which in all features 33 overseas players so far, also includes the names of David Warner, Shahid Afridi [ Images ], Shoaib Akhtar [ Images ], Umar Akmal [ Images ], Albie Morkel [ Images ], Herschelle Gibbs [ Images ], Kevin O'Brien and Tamim Iqbal among others.