Dale Steyn all set to play for Kandy Tuskers in LPL 2020

Kandy Tuskers have roped in South Africa legend Dale Steyn for the upcoming first edition of the Lanka Premier League. The tournament’s official Twitter handle confirmed the news on the social media platform on Sunday. Steyn recently turned up for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

LPL 2020 is scheduled to begin on November 26. It was initially supposed to be played in August but Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had to postpone the event due to the coronavirus pandemic. The entire tournament will be played at the Sooriyawewa Stadium. The two semi-finals are slated for December 13 and 14, with the finale on December 16.

Even before the start, the tournament has suffered several setbacks with several big names pulling out due to various reasons. In such a scenario, Dale Steyn’s addition will definitely provide some much-needed star-power to the tournament. The Kandy franchise is owned by Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s brother Sohail.

Steyn will be keen to put up a good show in the LPL after a forgettable outing in the IPL. The legendary pacer spent most of the time in the UAE on the bench. He managed to play just two games and failed to pick up a single wicket while conceding 57 and 43 runs. Kandy will be hoping that their star man lives up to the expectations in the coming days.

Steyn is one of the most decorated and experienced pacers of this generation. The 37-year old has played a total of 223 T20s so far and has picked up 257 wickets. In international cricket, he has picked up an impressive 699 wickets across the three formats.

The withdrawals from LPL

Before the start of the tournament, a number of big names have pulled out of it citing various reasons. Earlier this week, West Indies superstar Chris Gayle confirmed his withdrawal. He was supposed to play for Kandy. Along with him, Liam Plunkett also pulled out. The former England pacer was also supposed to play for Kandy.

Sri Lanka’s most decorated T20 player Lasith Malinga has pulled out too, citing inadequate preparation time. Among other big names who have decided against playing in LPL 2020 are Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Hafeez, Faf du Plessis, Ravi Bopara.

Dale Steyn expected arrive in Sri Lanka on 27th November. #එක්වජයගමූ #WinItTogether #ஒன்றாகவெல்வோம் #LPL2020 #LPLT20 #LPL #My11CircleLPL @DaleSteyn62 https://t.co/7HTaXTbOht

— Lanka Premier League (@LPLt20official) November 22, 2020