LPL 2020: Shahid Afridi misses flight to Sri Lanka, may have to sit out of Galle Gladiators’ first match

Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who will be captaining Galle Gladiators in the Lanka Premier League (LPL 2020), missed his flight to Sri Lanka on Monday. As a result, Afridi could end up missing Galle Gladiators' first match in the tournament.

"Missed my flight to Colombo today morning. Nothing to worry, I'll be reaching soon to take part in the LPL for Galle Gladiators. Look forward to joining my teammates," Shahid Afridi tweeted.

With COVID-19 restrictions in place, Shahid Afridi will have to serve his mandatory quarantine period after he lands in Sri Lanka, which is the reason he could miss Galle Gladiators' initial encounters in the tournament.

If Afridi isn’t able to play owing to the quarantine rules, Bhanuka Rajapaksa will be leading the franchise. Galle Gladiators had appointed Afridi as the skipper of the franchise and Rajapaksa as his deputy for LPL 2020.

Shahid Afridi was recently seen in the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2020) play-offs. He picked up three wickets, but managed only 12 runs in two games for Multan Sultans.

Galle Gladiators will take on Jaffna Stallions in their first match on November 27.

LPL 2020 to go ahead despite big names pulling out

LPL 2020 will see five franchises - Colombo Kings, Dambulla Viking, Galle Gladiators, Jaffna Stallions and Kandy Tuskers - battle it out against each other in 23 matches. However, the tournament’s popularity could be severely affected with a number of big names pulling out.

Chris Gayle, Liam Plunkett and Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga are among those who have decided to back out of LPL 2020. Gayle and Plunkett were slated to represent Kandy Tuskers while Malinga was to turn out for the Galle Gladiators.

As of now, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis and Nuwan Pradeep are some of the well-known international names likely to feature in LPL 2020.

The Colombo Kings will take on the Kandy Tuskers in the opening match at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota on November 26. Double-headers will take place every day till the semi-finals of the tournament, which will be played on December 13 and 14.

The LPL 2020 final is set to be played on December 16.