Big-hitting West Indies batsman Chris Gayle will not be featuring in the upcoming inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL).
Gayle was set to join the former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, local icon Kusal Perera, Sri Lankan T20 specialists Kusal Mendis and Nuwan Pradeep, and England right-arm fast bowler Liam Plunkett among others at Kandy Tuskers.
However, on Wednesday, Tuskers said Gayle has opted out of the tournament due to "personal reasons".
"Chris Gayle has opted out of the franchise-based tournament due to personal reasons. The replacement for the 'Universe Boss' has not been named yet," the franchisee wrote in a post on their Facebook page.
Gayle recently played seven matches for Kings XI Punjab in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates where he amassed 288 runs, with a best of 99.
Tuskers are slated to take on Colombo Kings in the tournament opener on November 26. The other three teams participating in the league are Dambulla Hawks, Galle Gladiators, and Jaffna Stallions.
The T20 tournament, which will comprise 23 matches, will see doubleheaders being played on each day till the semi-finals which will be played on December 13 and 14. The final will be played on December 16. All the matches will be played at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota.