IPL 2026: Sri Lanka's star all-rounder and T20I skipper Dasun Shanaka will miss the Pakistan Super League. He was supposed to represent Lahore Qalandars but has joined Rajasthan Royals as a replacement for Sam Curran, according to Cricbuzz.
Both IPL and PSL will be held simultaneously during the summer. Players have to choose between IPL and PSL. This situation has only made relations between these two cricket boards worse.
An RR official talked about the signing to Cricbuzz and said, "Yes, we're close to signing him. A few formalities are pending. He has to complete some paperwork with Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC).”
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After Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani, Shanaka has become the second player to snub the PSL and join the IPL as an injury replacement. He went unsold during the IPL auction last year. Apart from Muzarabani, Shanaka had a dream run during the recently concluded T20 World Cup. He has seized the opportunity to play in this tournament as an injury replacement.
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Players choosing to play for the IPL instead of the PSL has become a huge headache for the PCB. Its chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, had told reporters that the club would take legal action against these players to prevent such incidents in the future.
The IPL is one of the richest franchise league tournaments in the world. This is why both Shanaka and Muzarabani have chosen to play in it. Corbin Bosch started this trend. He entered this tournament halfway through last year after leaving the PSL to play for the Mumbai Indians.
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Shanaka will aim to bring extensive experience to the Rajasthan-based franchise. He has played in many franchise leagues around the world. He was also re-appointed as Sri Lanka's skipper. He will use his international skipper experience to help the young captain Riyan Parag.
Shanaka will also be working under ex-Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara and former Sri Lankan batting coach Vikram Rathour.