Vijay Shankar signs with Kandy Royals for LPL 2026

Former India all-rounder Vijay Shankar has joined the Kandy Royals franchise for the upcoming Lanka Premier League, marking his first move since retiring from international cricket. The league's sixth season is scheduled to run from July 17 to August 8 in Sri Lanka.

Shankar, 35, was announced as a marquee overseas signing ahead of the league's player draft on June 1. He recently retired from Indian domestic cricket, a prerequisite for becoming eligible to participate in overseas franchise tournaments under the Board of Control for Cricket in India's regulations. His international career for India spanned 12 One-Day Internationals and nine Twenty20 Internationals between 2018 and 2019, and he was a member of India's squad for the 2019 ODI World Cup.

He joins a Kandy Royals squad that has retained a core of experienced players, including Sri Lankan stars Wanindu Hasaranga and Angelo Mathews, and England all-rounder Moeen Ali. The defending champions, SC Jaffna Kings, have retained Bangladesh veteran Shakib Al Hasan alongside Sri Lankan players Dunith Wellalage and Bhanuka Rajapaksa.

Tournament organizers reported significant international interest, with more than 650 overseas...