Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz has withdrawn from the Kandy Royals for the 2026 Lanka Premier League, citing a clash with his country’s domestic T20 competition, Newswire reported.
In a statement shared on social media, Gurbaz thanked the franchise for selecting him in the player draft but said he would not be available for the tournament’s July 17 start.
“Unfortunately, due to my commitments with Afghanistan’s domestic tournament, the Shpageeza Cricket League, I will not be able to join the Kandy Royals squad this season,” he said. The Afghan international added that he had informed the franchise well in advance to allow time to find a suitable replacement.
Gurbaz also wished the Kandy Royals and the LPL a successful tournament.
His withdrawal leaves Kandy Royals — one of the five franchises that completed signings at the June 1 player draft — searching for a like-for-like overseas top-order option ahead of the July 17 Jaffna Kings-versus-Galle Gallants opener at the R. Premadasa Stadium. Gurbaz, a power-hitting opener and one of the white-ball game’s most prolific T20 keepers, would have been a marquee draw for the Pallekele crowd.
The Shpageeza Cricket League is Afghanistan’s flagship domestic T20 competition and was rescheduled this year, creating window overlaps with several overseas franchise tournaments. Gurbaz’s withdrawal is the first high-profile overseas pull-out announced after the twenty pre-signed player slots and the main draft closed earlier this week.
