Lanka Premier League overseas players: Chris Gayle, Munaf Patel, Shahid Afridi among overseas names for LPL 2020

Lanka Premier League overseas players: Around 150 overseas players will go under the hammer next month for LPL 2020.

Contrary to the previous report claiming that around 93 overseas players will be up for grabs in the auction for the inaugural season of the Lanka Premier League, SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket) has made an official announcement confirming the participation of around 150 players for the auction to be held on October 1.

Former India pacer Munaf Patel is the most surprising name among the selected names provided by SLC. Patel, 37, had last played an international match during India’s infamous tour of England in 2011.

Having retired from international cricket in 2018, Patel represented Rajputs in the T10 League the same year before playing for India Legends in the Road Safety World Series earlier this year.

Pakistan’s former captain, @SAfridiOfficial will be the marquee player of Galle Gladiators in Lanka Premier League, announces Nadeem Omar – the owner of the team. https://t.co/0Agaqi8yb4

— Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) September 2, 2020

Lanka Premier League overseas players

While SLC hasn’t provided a list of all the players, it has named some “top-notch” players like Chris Gayle, Daren Sammy, Darren Bravo, Shahid Afridi, Shakib-Al-Hasan, Ravi Bopara, Colin Munro, Vernon Philander and Patel.

Originally scheduled to be played between August 28 and September 20 this year, LPL 2020 was delayed due to unfavourable circumstances and restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic. SLC plans to conduct their first T20 league since 2012 between November 14 and December 6.

According to the latest announcement, each team will be allowed to acquire the services of a maximum of six players. A total of 30 overseas cricketers and 65 local cricketers mean that each team will be allowed to have a maximum capacity of 19 players.

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As far as the quarantine rules due to COVID-19 are concerned, SLC is yet to zero in on the number of days for which overseas players won’t be allowed to train upon landing in Sri Lanka.

The five teams (Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna) taking part in the tournament will play matches at R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium (Khettarama), Rangiri Dambulu International Cricket Stadium (Dambulla), Pallekele International Cricket Stadium (Pallekele) and Suriyawewa Mahinda Rajapakse International Cricket Stadium (Sooriyawewa).

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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