LPL 2020: Johnson Charles replaces Ravi Bopara in Jaffna Stallions squad
West Indies wicket-keeper batsman Johnson Charles has replaced former England all-rounder Ravi Bopara in the Jaffna Stallions squad for the inaugural Lankan Premier League, LPL 2020.
Bopara is among the many international names to pull out of LPL 2020, a list which also features legends Chris Gayle and Lasith Malinga.
According to latest reports, Charles is waiting for the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from West Indies Cricket Board, after which he is expected to reach Sri Lanka on November 25.
Charles is the sixth overseas player in Jaffna Stallions squad, the other five being Shoaib Malik (Pakistan), Usman Shinwari (Pakistan), Kyle Abbott (South Africa), Duanne Olivier (South Africa) and Tom Moores (England)
Who is Johnson Charles?
An attacking right-handed opening batsman, Johnson Charles was part of the West Indian T20 teams that won the 2012 and 2016 World Cups. He has featured in 48 ODIs and 34 T20Is for West Indies, and has scored 1,283 and 724 runs respectively, averaging in the 20s in both formats.
Johnson Charles has two hundreds to his name in ODIs and a highest of 84 in T20Is. The 31-year-old last played for West Indies in November 2016, in an ODI against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo.
An experienced T20 cricketer, Johnson Charles has scored over 4000 runs in 176 matches. He represented Barbados Tridents in this year's Caribbean Premier League.
What is LPL 2020?
LPL 2020, a T20 league in Sri Lanka will see five franchises taking on each other in 23 matches. The five franchises have been named Colombo Kings, Dambulla Viking, Galle Gladiators, Jaffna Stallions and Kandy Tuskers.
The Colombo Kings will take on the Kandy Tuskers in the opening match of LPL 2020 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota on November 26. Double-headers will take place every day, till the semi-finals of the tournament. The LPL 2020 final will be played on December 16.
However, question marks remain over LPL 2020’s popularity, with a number of big names like Gayle and Malinga pulling out.