Bad news for Pakistan, another star cricketer quits PSL for IPL 2026, joins…he is…

Pakistan Super League faces another setback as another star cricketer switches to the IPL, following Blessing Muzarabani, raising concerns over overseas player availability.

Dasun Shanaka, IPL 2026, PSL 2026, Rajasthan Royals, Pakistan Super League, Dasun Shanaka replaces Sam Curran, Blessing Muzarabani, Vikram Rathour, Kumar Sangakkara, Kolkata Knight Riders, KKR, Mustafizur Rahman — Star Sri Lanka cricketer quits PSL for IPL 2026 (Source: IANS)

IPL 2026: Pakistan Super league face another setback ahead of PSL 2026 as Sri Lanka’s T20I captain Dasun Shanaka is set to join Rajasthan Royals for the 2026 season. He is expected to come in as a replacement for Sam Curran, who has been ruled out due to injury.

This move makes Shanaka the latest player to switch from the PSL to the IPL, following Blessing Muzarabani, who left Islamabad United to join Kolkata Knight Riders as Mustafizur Rahman’s replacement.

However, the PSL handed Muzarabani a one-year ban. However, its strategy of scheduling the tournament alongside the Indian Premier League now seems to be backfiring, as several overseas players are opting to leave the PSL when IPL opportunities arise.

“Dasun’s signing is pending owing to his paperwork in the PSL, which is a formality. He is likely to join the squad in Guwahati,” a team source told PTI.

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Dasun Shanaka was signed by PSL franchise Lahore Qalandars

After going unsold at the IPL mini-auction last December, Shanaka was later signed by PSL side Lahore Qalandars. Meanwhile, the Royals coaching setup features Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara as head coach, with former India batting coach Vikram Rathour serving as assistant coach. Notably, Rathour was also part of Sri Lanka’s support staff as a consulting batting coach during the T20 World Cup.

Dasun Shanaka had earlier featured in IPL 2023, representing Gujarat Titans as a replacement for injured New Zealand batter Kane Williamson, scoring 26 runs in three matches. He was again acquired by Gujarat Titans during the 2025 season as a mid-tournament replacement for injured New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips, but did not get an opportunity to play a game.

RR to face CSK in IPL 2026 campaign opener

Riyan Parag-led Rajasthan Royals are set to start their IPL 2026 campaign against Chennai Super Kings in Guwahati, which will serve as their home venue for the initial phase of the tournament.

Dasun Shanaka led Sri Lanka during the T20 World Cup 2026, where the co-hosts were knocked out in the Super Eight stage. Despite the team’s exit, Shanaka impressed with the bat, and scored a total of 165 runs, which featured quickfire 76* off 31 balls against Pakistan, and also chipped in with three wickets.

Rajasthan Royals IPL 2026 updated squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Shubham Dubey, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Yudhvir Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Donovan Ferreira, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Yash Raj Punja, Vignesh Puthur, Aman Rao, Brijesh Sharma, Adam Milne, Kuldeep Sen

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The Times Of Bengal