Andre Russell, Faf du Plessis, David Miller pull out of LPL

While South African trio of Miller, du Plessis and Dawid Malan are unavailable because of the limited-overs series against England, West Indian Russell has pulled out due to a knee injury.

Published : Oct 27, 2020 12:03 IST , Colombo

Faf du Plessis in action for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
Faf du Plessis in action for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
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Faf du Plessis in action for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.

The inaugural Lankan Premier League (LPL) have been dealt a severe blow with five overseas players, including Faf du Plessis, Andre Russell and David Miller, pulling out of the T20 tournament less than a week after they were drafted into various franchises.

While the trio of Miller, du Plessis and Dawid Malan are unavailable because of the limited-overs series against England, West Indian Russell has pulled out due to a knee injury.

Indian wicket-keeper batsman Manvinder Bisla, who played 35 IPL matches, is the fifth player to withdraw from the tournament, scheduled to be held from November 21 to December 13.

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“The franchises that had these players will have to negotiate with other players to take their place,” LPL director Ravin Wickramaratne told ESPNcricinfo .

Russell, Miller, du Plessis and Malan all had been picked up as marquee players. While these withdrawals are a significant blow to the tournament, they are not a death knell just yet.

The hardest hit franchise is the Colombo Kings, who had all three of Russell, du Plessis and Bisla on its roster. The Jaffna Stallions had Malan.

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The five-team tournament is scheduled to be held at two venues -- Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy and Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota. A total of 23 matches will be played over a period of 15 days.

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