Sale Cricket Club has pulled off a major coup for the 2026/27 season, securing high-profile recruit Bhanu Keppetipola as a premier first XI player and the club’s new junior coaching coordinator.
The club has long prioritised the development of its homegrown youth pathway, and officials firmly believe they have found the right mentor to take the junior program to the next level.
At 29 years of age, Keppetipola arrives at the Nest with an elite cricketing pedigree. He has previously played first-class cricket in Sri Lanka, premier cricket in Melbourne, and famously won a man-of-the-match award during a whirlwind Victorian sub-district grand final victory.
His explosive power hitting, economical bowling and wealth of top-tier experience are expected to heavily boost Sale’s first XI flag aspirations. Crucially, his off-field expertise will be open to all senior and junior players looking to elevate their games.
Keppetipola has also recently taken on a cricket coaching and development role with local indoor facility Level Up, and he is reportedly eager to get stuck into pre-season training with Sale’s junior squads.
Under his new role as a specialised junior coaching coordinator, Keppetipola will oversee the entire youth program. While each junior side will retain its dedicated team coach, Sale Cricket Club has announced a massive incentive for the 2026/27 season: every single junior player registered at the club will receive a minimum of two hours of direct, one-on-one coaching with Keppetipola throughout the year.
With plenty of prime playing and coaching years ahead of him, the club considers itself incredibly fortunate to secure a cricketer and mentor of such high quality to drive long-term growth.
