LSG name THIS South African all-rounder as Wanindu Hasaranga’s replacement for IPL 2026
Wanindu Hasaranga has been ruled out of IPL 2026.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) recently suffered a big blow as spin all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga was ruled out of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The Rishabh Pant & Co. have found a replacement for him.
Hasaranga was bought by LSG for INR 2 crore in IPL 2026 mini-auction. He suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Sri Lanka in T20 World Cup 2026 in February. He was recovering from the injury since then and was expected to join the LSG squad later in the tournament.
He was expected to undergo a fitness test conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), which was mandatory to acquire a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in IPL 2026. Due to the injury, he did not undergo the test and has been ruled out of the tournament.
LSG names George Linde as replacement for Wanindu Hasaranga
LSG have named South African all-rounder George Linde as the replacement for Hasaranga in IPL 2026. The reports in Cricbuzz claimed that Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Liam Dawson were also under consideration but LSG eventually went ahead with Linde.
George had participated in IPL 2026 mini-auction and had a base price of INR 1 crore. However, he did not find any bidders at the auction. He will make his debut in IPL 2026.
He was also part of South Africa squad in T20 World Cup 2026, where the Proteas lost the semi-final to New Zealand. He was part of South Africa’s T20I series against New Zealand last month. He has played 37 T20Is for South Africa so far, clinching 35 wickets at an economy of 7.58 and scoring 403 runs.
Meanwhile, LSG have played three games so far in the tournament. They commenced the league with a defeat against Delhi Capitals (DC) but won their previous two games against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Who has replaced Wanindu Hasaranga in LSG’s squad for IPL 2026?
South African all-rounder George Linde has replaced Wanindu Hasaranga in LSG squad for IPL 2026.
Why was Hasaranga ruled out of IPL 2026?
Hasaranga was ruled out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.