Breaking! Ex-CSK Player To Play For Royals Post Retirement

As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is almost over, there is a long line of other cricket leagues to take place across the world. One such league, the Lanka Premier League 2026, is all set to begin on July 17 with its 6th edition. There are a huge number of players who still have a lot of game left in them, but haven't had a platform to play on after a huge talent already ruled the world of cricket.

The Indian all-rounder and ex-Chennai Super Kings Player, Vijay Shankar, is one of those who have not been getting many chances to play. On May 22, 2026, he hung up his boots from domestic cricket, and the IPL and even Vijay Shankar retirement post hinted that he would be playing in some of the biggest cricket leagues in the world post-retirement. In the recent development, Vijay Shankar will be playing the LPL after being picked by the Kandy Royals.

New Era of Vijay Shankar LPL

The new era of Vijay Shankar Kandy Royals in LPL will be observed in the 6th season of the tournament, where he was signed by the franchise along with the big players like Wanindu Hasaranga, Angelo Mathews, and Moeen Ali. As Shankar retired from domestic cricket, it was clearly expected that he would be playing in the foreign leagues, and days after, it was officially announced that he would be part of the LPL 2026.

As he mentioned earlier, "Have decided to retire from playing domestic cricket and IPL to pursue new opportunities and play more cricket." It would be interesting to see how Vijay Shankar will perform in the Sri Lanka-based cricket league, who was once considered one of the best all-rounders in India.

Which Other Indians Have Featured in LPL?

Vijay Shankar is not the first Indian cricketer to feature and play in the LPL as there were two other Indian cricketers who had featured in the Lanka Premier League before him. Former India players Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan participated in the inaugural 2020 season, both representing the Kandy Tuskers.

Their involvement came after retiring from all forms of Indian cricket, aligning with BCCI rules that restrict active players from overseas leagues. Since then, no Indian player featured in the LPL until Shankar’s recent decision, who will be playing the 6th edition of the LPL.