Sri Lanka star ditches PSL to join IPL 2026; set to replace Sam Curran at RR - Reports
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A lot of players have left PSL to join IPL 2026.
The biggest blockbuster T20 league in the world Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is set to kick-off this Saturday (March 28). Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be up against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the tournament opener at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Ahead of the IPL, many franchise have been jolted with big blows as quite a few star players have ruled out of the tournament. This has forced the teams to reshuffle their roster and look for like-to-like replacements. With IPL franchises needing replacements, Pakistan Super League (PSL) has become the victim.
A few overseas players, who went unsold in IPL 2026 auction, signed up for PSL. However, with IPL franchises seeking replacements, the players have taken u-turn and have pulled out of the Pakistan-based league. The latest to join the bandwagon is Sri Lanka T20I captain Dasun Shanaka.
Dasun Shanaka set to replace Sam Curran at Rajasthan Royals – Reports
As per Sri Lankan journalist Danushka Aravinda, Dasun Shanaka is set to arrive in India for IPL 2026 soon. There is no official announcement yet but the move is likely to go through. The Sri Lanka T20I skipper, who was set to play for Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2026, will be terminating his contract there to join IPL.
Shanka is set to join the inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals (RR) as an injury replacement for Sam Curran. The England all-rounder, who was traded from Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to RR, was recently ruled out of the tournament with groin injury.
This will be third stint for Shanaka in IPL as he represented Gujarat Titans in 2023 and 2025. The Sri Lanka T20I captain was in a decent nick in T20 World Cup 2026, where he played a brilliant innings of unbeaten 76 against Pakistan.
Shanaka will be joining Blessing Muzarabani, who left PSL to play IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Not only these two, but Harry Brook, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Faf du Plessis, David Wiese, Tymal Mills, Mujeeb-Ur Rehman, Mohammad Nabi, and Fazalhaq Farooqi have also denied playing in PSL.
Who will Dasun Shanaka replace in IPL 2026?
Dasun Shanaka will replace all-rounder Sam Curran at Rajasthan Royals.
Will Dasun Shanaka play IPL 2026?
Dasun Shanaka, reportedly, will play for RR in IPL 2026.
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Ankitjit Singh is a dedicated sports journalist whose childhood dream was to play cricket—now, he serves the game through his work. With over three years of experience in reporting, writing, and editing, he brings deep insight to his coverage. A journalism graduate from Delhi University, Ankitjit’s passion for cricket took root during his college days and continues to drive his career.