Mohanlal to be non-playing captain .
The third match of the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) will see Kerala Strikers and Chennai Rhinos at the LB Stadium on Sunday. For the first time, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal will not take to the field due to his ongoing leg treatment. While he would be the non-playing captain of the Kerala Strikers, the team will be led by actor Asif Ali. Edavela Babu, manager of the Kerala Strikers, has confirmed that Mohanlal will be part of the team but will not be playing.

“This time there will be no matches in Kochi,” said Babu, who is also the secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). Mohanlal of late has been under treatment for pain in his leg and hence has decided to stay away from the ground. Also, this would be the first time that the team is regrouping after director Priyadarshan and actress Lissy decided to separate. Both Priyadarshan and Lissy were a constant source of inspiration for the team in the previous editions.

"Lissy is expected to come and support us," said Babu. The Kerala team, which finished runners-up in the last edition to Karnataka Bulldozers, is in Pool B with Mumbai Heroes, Chennai Rhinos and Veer Marathi. The CCL final will also be held in Hyderabad on February 1.