Lanka Premier League 2020: Why is Lasith Malinga not playing LPL 2020?

Lasith Malinga not playing LPL 2020: The veteran Sri Lankan fast bowler has decided to skip the inaugural season of Lanka Premier League.

The inaugural season of the Lanka Premier League has received a significant blow in the form of Sri Lanka T20I captain Lasith Malinga opting out of the tournament a week before its start.

Malinga, 37, had last played competitive cricket in the form of a two-match T20I series against West Indies at home in March. Since then, the veteran cricketer hasn’t turned up for a competitive contest.

Slated to travel to UAE to represent Mumbai Indians in the 13th season of the Indian Premier League, Malinga ended up withdrawing from the cash-rich league due to family reasons.

Why is Lasith Malinga not playing LPL 2020?

Malinga, who was selected by Galle Gladiators as one of their marquee players, has cited “lack of training” as a reason for him opting out of the tournament.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Malinga pointed out his lack of training, undergoing mandatory quarantine in Hambantota and the hectic schedule of Lanka Premier League as the reasons behind his absence.

🇱🇰 Who are you cheering for in the inaugural Lanka Premier League?!#LPL2020 pic.twitter.com/hEsxlRQlOV

— ICC (@ICC) November 17, 2020

“Since the West Indies series early this year, I haven’t had any cricket, and there hasn’t been any training for me at all. When the draft happened last month, I thought there would be about three weeks of training before the LPL, but there has been nothing. They are only having us come to Hambantota this week, and even there they are asking us to do three days of quarantine.

“It’s not easy for a bowler to play at a high level without training. At the LPL, they also have matches on back-to-back days. So, I decided not to play the tournament,” Malinga was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Having announced their first T20 competition since 2012 in June this year, SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket) have had to undergo several delays due to multiple reasons. As of now, the tournament stands to begin from November 26 at the Sooriyawewa stadium.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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