The 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) may suffer another major blow ahead of its opening match of the season on March 26 at the Gaddafi Stadium.
According to the latest reports, Sri Lankan international Dasun Shanaka is all set to skip the tournament to join the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026), which will begin from March 28. If reports are to be believed, the Lankan star may play in the PSL and IPL.
For the upcoming Pakistan Super League season, Lahore Qalandars signed the fast bowling all-rounder from the players auction. If Dasun Shanaka decides to officially rule himself out of the tournament, it will be a huge blow to the PSL team, and for the league, it will be another example of a star player prioritizing IPL over PSL.
List of star players who refused to play in PSL 2026
Many foreign cricketers have ruled themselves out of the upcoming edition of Pakistan Super League. One of the stars is Zimbabwean fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani, who left the PSL to play for IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Harry Brook, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Faf du Plessis, David Wiese, Tymal Mills, Mujeeb-ur Rehman, Mohammad Nabi and Fazalhaq Farooqui are the other key players who have either withdrawn or declined to play in the PSL 2026 season.
Which IPL team can sign Dasun Shanaka for IPL 2026 season?
Dasun Shanaka is rumored to be joining the Indian Premier League side. Earlier, the Sri Lankan international had remained unsold in the mini auction held ahead of the IPL 2026 season. During the auction, a franchise showed interest in the all-rounder. As of now, it is not clear which IPL franchise is ready to secure his services.
Ahead of the start of IPL 2026, several injury concerns made headlines. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is facing the worst situation due to continuous injuries. Key players like Harshit Rana and Akash Deep have been ruled out of the tournament due to injuries. Mathiesha Pathirana is uncertain, as the fast bowler is yet to receive the no objection certificate from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
Some others also claim that Chennai Super Kings have keen interest in South African fast bowler Otniel Baartman as a replacement for injured Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis. Bartman has officially withdrawn from the PSL 2026 season.
Dasun Shanaka was in great form against Pakistan
Shanaka last featured for the Sri Lanka national cricket team during a tournament against Pakistan. At Pallekele in February, the 34-year-old scored an unbeaten 76 with the bat and took some wickets for 42 runs.
Dasun Shanaka had brief stints in both the IPL and PSL. In the Indian Premier League, the Lankan cricketer played only three matches for Gujarat Titans in 2023, and only 2 matches for Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL 2022-23 season.
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