Sri Lankan all-rounder and T20I captain Dasun Shanaka snubbed the Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League and joined the Rajasthan Royals for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. He will join the franchise as a replacement for the injured Sam Curran, the IPL governing council confirmed on Monday. Shanaka has joined the franchise for INR 2 crore.
Shanaka has represented Sri Lanka in 6 Tests, 71 ODIs and 131 T20Is, scoring more than 3000 runs. He also has 86 wickets to his name. He has previously represented Gujarat Titans in the IPL.
The Indian Premier League and Pakistan Super League are set to take place nearly simultaneously in the summer months on the subcontinent, which means players have had to opt between the Indian league and the Pakistan league to further complicate matters with regards to the tensions between the two cricket boards.
Shanaka joins Zimbabwean seamer Blessing Muzarabani as the two players to leave the PSL and make their way to the IPL as replacement players, originally having gone unsold at the IPL auction last year. Just like Muzarabani, Shanaka has benefitted from a strong T20 World Cup showing, and has snapped up the chance being presented by a surfeit of injuries to IPL stars.
Shanaka bolsters RR’s leadership unit
The tendency of losing players to the IPL is a growing concern for the Pakistan Cricket Board, including chair Mohsin Naqvi, who told reporters earlier this week that the league might seek legal action against these players to prevent further names from jumping ship in the future.
The IPL remains the richest and most marketable league in the franchise scene, which explains why players like Shanaka and Muzarabani might have opted for these decisions. The trend was started when Corbin Bosch made his way to the IPL mid-season, leaving the PSL to join Mumbai Indians.
Shanaka will take plenty of experience and know-how to RR, having spent a lot of time plying his trade in franchise leagues across the world. He also re-earned captaincy of the Sri Lankan squad, and brings some international expertise to a leadership group helmed by young captain Riyan Parag.
Shanaka joins forces with another Sri Lankan captain in Kumar Sangakkara, as well as with former Sri Lankan national team batting coach Vikram Rathour.
