Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has reportedly withdrawn from the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026, bringing an early end to a disappointing campaign with Kandy Royals.
According to multiple media reports, the 26-year-old informed Kandy Royals that he was leaving the tournament for personal reasons. Neither the franchise nor tournament organizers have disclosed further details, and a replacement has yet to be announced.
Afridi’s exit comes just days after an embarrassing administrative error involving his omission from Kandy Royals’ playing XI against Colombo Capitals. Reports said he had initially been named as the team’s Impact Player, but after Kandy opted to bat first, management informed him that his name had mistakenly been left off the official team sheet due to an analyst’s error.
The incident reportedly prompted the Pakistan pacer to raise the issue with an official from the tournament’s Anti-Corruption Unit before the matter was referred to the match referee. Franchise officials and LPL organizers later apologized, convincing Afridi to remain with the squad at the time despite briefly considering leaving the tournament.
On the field, the left-arm quick struggled to make his usual impact. He claimed just seven wickets in six matches at an average of 32.00 while conceding runs at an economy rate of 10.18, making it one of his least effective T20 tournaments in recent years.
Meanwhile, two Pakistani cricketers have been drafted into the competition as replacement signings. Emerging batter Khawaja Nafay has joined Jaffna Kings in place of Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran, while all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed has signed with Dambulla Sixers to replace Afghanistan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi.