Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi. Credits: PSL

Former Pakistani all-rounder, Shahid Afridi has been named as the captain of the Galle Gladiators for the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2020.

The tournament is about to commence on November 26th and will conclude on December 17th. All the matches will be played at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota. Colombo Kings will take on Kandy Tuskers in the opening match of LPL 2020. The other three teams are Dambulla Hawks, Galle Gladiators, and Jaffna Stallions.

Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi (Credits: Twitter)

Shahid Afridi will replace Sarfaraz Ahmed as the captain:

Shahid Afridi will replace his compatriot, Sarfaraz Ahmed as the leader of the team. Sarfaraz has withdrawn from the tournament, as he is named in the 35-member contingent to travel to New Zealand.

Sarfaraz Ahmed was stripped from the captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team after his side failed to qualify for the semi-final of the World Cup in England. Babar Azam is currently Pakistan’s all-format captain.

Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi (Credits: PSL)

Shahid Afridi was recently seen in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) playing for Multan Sultan in the playoffs. In the Qualifier against Karachi, he scored 12 runs and picked one wicket. In Eliminator 2 against Lahore, the 40-year-old leg-spinner Shahid Afridi ended with figures of 2/18.

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Hard-hitting Sri Lankan batsman, Bhanuka Rajapaksa has been named the vice-captain of the side. Afridi will be leading a team comprising of T20 stars like Hazratullah Zazai, Akila Dananjaya,  Shehan Jayasuriya,  Chadwick Walton, and Danushka Gunatilleka.

The LPL has suffered major blows as several overseas superstars such as Chris Gayle, Ravi Bopara, David Miller, David Malan, and Faf du Plessis have decided to skip the tournament.

Also Read: LPL 2020: Lasith Malinga Pulls Out Of The Tournament, Gives Lack Of Training As The Reason

Also Read: Sri Lanka Cricket Releases The Re-scheduled Fixtures Of Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2020