The first match between Colombo Kings and Candy Tuskers will be played at 7.30 pm tonight. The first semi-final will be played on December 13 and the second semi-final the next day. The final will be played on December 16. There will be 23 matches in the tournament. Matches were expected to be held in Kandy, Dambulla and Hambantota. But the whole tournament will be held in Hambantota. At one stage it was even thought that the tournament would be held in Malaysia or the UAE due to corona and quarantine regulations. But with the quarantine rules for foreign players being reduced from 14 days to a week, the tournament will be held in Sri Lanka.
Cricketers from South Africa, England, Pakistan and the West Indies withdrew from the league due to international schedules and other reasons. Duplessis, David Miller, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz Colin Ingram and others dropped out of the league. Chris Gayle and Lasith Malinga are also out due to lack of fitness. Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has not been hired by any franchise before. But then the Candy Tuskers took him into the team.
Corona was positive for Canadian batsman Ravinder Pal Singh, who came to participate in the league. Andre Russell, who arrived in Sri Lanka on the same flight, was in self-isolation.
Angelo Mathews will captain the Colombo Kings, Shahid Afridi for the Galle Gladiators, Tishara Pereira for the Jaffna Stallions and Kushal Pereira for the Candy Tuskers. Afridi Gale, who missed the flight, will miss the first two matches of the team. The ICC Anti-Corruption Unit has stepped in following reports that fixing efforts are underway before the start of the tournament.
