Chris Gayle has been ruled out of the inaugural season of the Sri Lanka Premier League due to a serious groin strain. Gayle, the icon player and captain for the Uva Next franchise, was among the marquee players for the tournament.

Gayle had injured his groin while playing in the Bangladesh Premier League in February, but the injury was aggravated during West Indies' second Test against New Zealand in Jamaica. The same injury had also prevented Gayle from playing in the MiWAY T20 Challenge in South Africa for the Dolphins franchise

"Of course it's a blow to lose [Gayle]," CEO of the Uva Next franchise, Tushar Bedi said. "But we are very happy with the team that we've got and we're still going to win the competition." Gayle has signed a three-year deal with Uva, and will likely take part in the 2013 and 2014 tournaments, Bedi said.

Two other overseas players - Pakistan's Abdur Rehman and West Indies' Fidel Edwards - are also in the late withdrawals list that already includes Shakib Al Hasan, who was denied permission to play in the tournament by the Bangladesh Cricket Board last week. There is also speculation that Marlon Samuels will be unavailable, but this has not yet been confirmed.