Shahid Afridi expresses desire to be 'Superman' for youngsters playing in LPL 2020

Veteran cricketer Shahid Afridi was considered as one of the most destructive batsmen in limited-overs cricket in international cricket. Along with his swashbuckling batting skills, the player also had some fiery leg-spin up his arsenal, which made him a valuable player for the Pakistan team. Post his retirement from international cricket, he has featured in various franchise-based T-20 and T-10 competitions and is currently plying his trade for the Galle Gladiators team in the Lanka Premier League (LPL 2020) 

LPL 2020: 40-year-old Shahid Afridi wishes to be 'Superman' for youngsters 

The cricketer has the responsibility to lead the Galle Gladiators in the ongoing season of the LPL 2020. The Pakistan cricketer showed no signs of rust and fired right from the first match for his franchise. Known for hitting mighty sixes, the player lived up to his reputation and hit the ball out of the boundary ropes six times as he scored a quick-fire 58 from just 23 balls. The Galle Gladiators side posted a competitive total of 175 against Jaffna Stallions. 

However, they eventually went on to lose the match after a stellar batting performance from Avishka Fernando, who remained unbeaten on 92 and steered his side to a comfortable win. Shahid Afridi, in the post-match presentation, revealed how he has been putting in a lot of hard work into his game. He spoke of how it is challenging to match the youngsters, and he wants to set the right example in front of them at this age. 

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Speaking on the high expectations that the team management has from him, Afridi opined that it is mandatory for him to bring out his A-game on the field. With the side consisting of a lot of youngsters, the all-rounder aims to inspire them with his hard work irrespective of his age. He stated that he has worked tremendously hard on his game and it is essential for him to do so if he wishes to continue playing cricket at this level. 

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Galle Gladiators yet to get off the mark on the points table

Having played two matches in the tournament so far, Galle Gladiators are yet to claim their maiden win. They squared off against Colombo Kings in their second match. However, the contest was curtailed to a 5-over per-side affair due to rain. They had to face the wrath of Andre Russell, who smashed 65 runs of 19 balls. Chasing a mammoth target of 96 in five overs, Gladiators failed to cross the line. 

KT vs GG live fixture

Galle Gladiators will meet the Kandy Tuskers in their third fixture of the season on Monday, November 30. The KT vs GG live action will kick-start from 8:00 PM IST from the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Hambantota. The live telecast of the match will be made available on the Sony Sports Network in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

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Lanka Premier League schedule

Galle Gladiators squad

Shahid Afridi (C), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Hazratullah Zazai, Ahsan Ali, Sahan Arachchige, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milinda Siriwardana, Akila Dananjaya, Chanaka Ruwansiri, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Duvindu Tillakaratne, Chadwick Walton, Azam Khan, Lakshan Sandakan, Asitha Fernando, Mohammad Amir, Waqas Maqsood, Mohamed Shiraz, Nuwan Thushara, Abdul Nasir and Danushka Gunathilaka.

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Image source: Lanka Premier League Instagram