Vijay Shankar to make Lanka Premier League debut with Kandy Royals

Former India all-rounder Vijay Shankar is all set for his Lanka Premier League (LPL) debut, having been signed by Kandy Royals as their 'overseas star' for the upcoming edition of the tournament. Shankar recently announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket to pursue opportunities in the T20 leagues across the globe.

He was part of marquee signings made by Kandy Royals, along with England allrounder Moeen Ali (overseas icon), Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga (local icon) and Angelo Mathews (local star).

Shankar will be the third Indian star to play for Kandy after Irfan Pathan and Munaf Patel represented the franchise during the inaugural LPL edition in 2020, which was then known as Kandy Tuskers.

It will be the first edition of LPL since 2024, as Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) decided to postpone the 2025 season, to focus on the T20 World Cup 2026, which was co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India. Several other big names were part of the marquee signings list for LPL 2026, namely, Shakib Al Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Sahibzada Farhan and James Neesham.

LPL 2026 to begin on July 17

Colombo Kaps have assembled a strong squad featuring overseas recruits Jimmy Neesham and Ben McDermott, alongside local stars Kusal Mendis and Kamindu Mendis. On the other hand,  Dambulla Sixers picked Sahibzada Farhan and Reeza Hendricks as their overseas signings.

Rassie van der Dussen has joined Galle Gallants as their sole overseas marquee player, where he will team up with Dasun Shanaka and Eshan Malinga. 

Defending champions Jaffna Kings, secured the Bangladesh duo of Shakib Al Hasan and Taskin Ahmed, while Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dunith Wellalage headline their local signings.

The player drafts for the upcoming edition will be held on June 1 in Colombo. The LPL 2026 season is all set to begin on July 17, with the final scheduled for August 18.