Irfan Pathan to play for Kandy Tuskers in the LPL

Irfan Pathan, the former Indian cricketer, is set to ply his trade for the Kandy Tuskers in the 2020 edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL). The tournament will be getting underway on Saturday, November 21 with the match between Colombo Kings and Dambulla Hawks at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Hambantota.

Irfan, who retired from international cricket earlier this year, would be joining the likes of Chris Gayle, Liam Plunkett, Kusal Perera and Wahab Riaz in the Tuskers. Pathan and coach Hashan Tilakaratne confirmed the signing. Having last played T20 cricket back in February 2019, the 36-year-old Irfan is hoping to ‘have fun’ in the tournament.

I will start slowly and see how this goes: Irfan Pathan

“I am definitely looking forward to this. Yes, I had retired from T20 cricket, but I can play around the world and hopefully, I will be able to have fun with my game as well, which I didn’t have for the last two years. I think I can still play some, but I will start slowly and see how this goes, and then I will take it forward,” Irfan was quoted as saying in ESPNcricinfo.

Pathan is currently a part of the commentary panel in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Earlier this year, he also played for the Indian Legends in a charity tournament in Mumbai that got halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pathan, apart from his aspirations of playing T20 leagues around the world, also sounded ready to help out domestic teams in India. In the 2019-20 edition of the Ranji Trophy, he mentored Jammu and Kashmir to the knockouts.

“I just need a bit of clarity about domestic cricket. As soon as I get some clarity, I would love to help out whichever team I can, share my experience, I would love to do it. That’s always open,” he stated.

Previously, Pathan also became the first player to be included in the drafts for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). However, for obvious reasons he didn’t take part in the league. The LPL is a 23-day affair with the final scheduled for Sunday, December 13 in Pallekele.