Bollywood star Salman Khan’s brother Sohail Khan has bought the Kandy franchise in the Lanka Premier League, which is scheduled to be played from November 21 to December 13. 

West Indies’ explosive T20 batsman Chris Gayle is a part of the franchise, along with leading Sri Lankan stars Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis.

Sohail Khan said that he is excited to be a part of the tournament, which will see its inaugural edition this year.

“There is lot of potential in the Lanka Premier League and we are really very happy to be part of this exciting initiative,” Khan said in a press release. 

“Sri Lankan fans are very passionate about the game and I am sure they will come out in large numbers to support the team. Chris Gayle is obviously the Universal Boss, but he is not alone, we have a very good team, a good balance of youth and experience, and I am backing my team to play the final.”

England’s fast bowler Liam Plunkett is also a part of the side.

Former Sri Lankan skipper Hashan Tillakaratne is part of the Kandy coaching staff. “We are extremely glad that Sohail Khan International LLP is part of the Kandy Tuskers consortium. Cricket and celluloid have been interconnected for a long and the presence of movie stars bring an element of fun, entertainment, and glamour to the whole proceedings,” said Ravin Wickramaratne, SLC VP and LPL Tournament Director.

Earlier in the week, Indian cricketers Manvinder Singh Bisla and Manpreet Gony were picked by the Colombo Kings franchisee in the LPL player’s draft. Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews, former South African skipper Faf du Plessis, and Jamaican all-rounder Andre Russel were also roped in by the Colombo franchise for the upcoming LPL.

“We are committed to create a world class league with LPL and what better way than to spread the message through Bollywood and Sohail Khan,” said Anil Mohan, IPG CEO. “Sohail’s love for cricket is well documented, he will not only add glamour to the whole event but he is also passionate about the sport. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner than him,” he added.

The Lanka Premier League is scheduled to be played from November 21 to December 13, 2020, at two venues -- Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy and Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota. Teams will compete in 23 matches over a 15-day period for the title.

Sohail Khan has become the fifth Indian Bollywood actor to own a franchise cricket team in a professional T20 cricket league.

While Shah Rukh Khan owns Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL) and Trinbago Knight Riders (CPL), Juhi Chawla co-owns KKR, while Shilpa Shetty and Preity Zinta co-own Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab (both in IPL) respectively.

Here is the squad of Sohail Khan-owned Kandy Tuskers after the draft took place last week:

Squad: Chris Gayle, Kusal Perera, Liam Plunkett, Wahab Riaz, Kusal Mendis, Nuwan Pradeep, Seekkuge Prasanna, Asela Gunaratne, Naveen-Ul-Haq, Kamindu Mendis, Dilruwan Perera, Priyamal Perera, Kavishka Anjula, Lasith Embuldeniya, Lahiru Samarakoon, Nishan Fernando, Chamika Edirisinghe, Ishan Jayaratne