Shaheen Afridi Returns Home from LPL After Personal Reasons, Playoff Return Still Possible

Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has left the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 and returned home due to personal reasons. However, reports suggest the left-arm pacer could rejoin Kandy Royals if the franchise secures a place in the tournament’s playoff stage.

The news of Shaheen Afridi’s exit comes after an eventful campaign in which he has picked up 7 wickets in the 6 matches that he played for Kandy Royals. However, sources suggest he will not be done with the tournament and could be available if his team goes further.

Shaheen Afridi had earlier got into a misunderstanding with the Kandy Royals team management regarding the team selection during the earlier part of the tournament. Prior to the July 19 match against the Colombo Capitals, he told to play as an Impact Player but his name mistakenly left out of the official team list.

The omission led to Shaheen expressing his disappointment. Later, the franchise issued a public apology stating that it a result of an error made by the team’s analyst. The Pakistan pacer then stayed on for the rest of the league games at Kandy Royals.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has introduced a new rule, the Impact Player, which enables teams to designate an impact player before the game that can bat or bowl in place of another player for four overs each. Substitutes replace the player that has taken off, and are no longer eligible to play in the match.

Shaheen Afridi had performed well for Kandy Royals at the league stage, always coming up with a breakthrough off the new ball. If he does make the cut for the playoffs, it would be a massive helping hand for the team in their bid for the LPL title.

Now, cricket fans will have to wait and see if Kandy Royals make the playoffs and whether Shaheen Afridi will be back to power the side in the knockout phase.