Gayle, Russell sign to play T20 in Canada

Self-proclaimed 'Universe Boss', Chris Gayle, is set to dust off his bat and turn out with fellow Jamaican star Andre Russell in the returning Global Canada Twenty20 (T20) league from July 20-August 6 in Ontario.

It has been more than three months since Jamaica and West Indies cricketer Gayle lifted a bat, but he has been drafted by new team Mississauga Panthers, while Russell is set to turn out for the Montreal Tigers. West Indian players Sherfane Rutherford and Carlos Brathwaite are also on the roster of the Tigers.

In the last edition of the GT20 in 2019, Gayle made five appearances for the Vancouver Knights, scoring 277 runs, while Russell, who also played five games for the Knights, scored 89 runs and took four wickets.

The third edition of the GT20 is set to also feature several global stars, with England player Alex Hales and Pakistan's Shoaib Malik and Mohamed Rizwan. New Zealander Tim Southee and Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan are also expected to feature.

The Mississauga Panthers and Surrey Jaguars are the two new franchises. They replace former champions Winnipeg Hawks and Edmonton Royals.

Each team will include two marquee players, three Canadian national players and three emerging Canadian players, with 25 matches to be played across the 18 days.