Dasun Shanaka is reportedly the frontrunner to join Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming season of Indian Premier League (IPL) as a replacement player, thereby withdrawing from the 11th season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The Sri Lankan captain was picked up by Lahore Qalandars in the PSL 2026 auction, that concluded recently.
According to Sri Lankan media outlet Newswire, Shanaka became the latest to pulled out of the PSL after Zimbabwean Blessing Muzarabani joined IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2026. “While there has been no official confirmation, sources indicate that Shanaka is in discussions with IPL franchises seeking replacements for injured players,” the report stated.
The report further added that all-rounder Shanaka in in talks to join Rajasthan Royals, as a replacement for England's Sam Curran. The English all-rounder joined the 2008 champions as a part of a trade deal that saw Sanju Samson join Chennai Super Kings. Curran is believed to be recovering from a groin injury. Shanaka went unsold at the IPL 2026 auction.
“The Rajasthan Royals are among the teams facing concerns, with England all-rounder Sam Curran reportedly unavailable due to injury. Shanaka, a fast-bowling all-rounder with similar skill sets, is seen as a potential like-for-like replacement,” the report further added.
He went unsold in the IPL auction but had a decent run in the T20 World Cup. In seven matches, the 34-year-old made 165 runs, at a blistering strike rate of 187.50. He can bring the fireworks at the death and with Donovan Ferreira currently dealing with a shoulder injury, Shanaka can fit perfectly at number seven. With the ball, Shanaka picked up three wickets at an economy rate of nine in the World Cup
