Colombo, Nov 19 : Big-hitting West Indies batsman Chris Gayle and England fast bowler Liam Plunkett will not be featuring in the upcoming inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL). Gayle and Plunkett were set to join former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, local icon Kusal Perera, Sri Lankan T20 specialists Kusal Mendis and Nuwan Pradeep among others at Kandy Tuskers. However, Tuskers have now informed that both Gayle and Plunkett have opted out of the tournament. "We are sad to announce that Chris Gayle will not be playing for us in this year's LPL," the franchise had tweeted from their official Twitter handle on Wednesday. "We are also sad to announce that Liam Plunkett will also not be playing in this year's LPL," they tweeted on Thursday. Tuskers are slated to take on Colombo Kings in the tournament opener on November 26. The other three teams participating in the league are Dambulla Hawks, Galle Gladiators and Jaffna Stallions. The T20 tournament, which will comprise of 23 matches, will see double headers being played on each day till the semi-finals which will be played on December 13 and 14. The final will be played on December 16. All the matches will be played at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota. /IANS