New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) Sri Lanka’s seam-bowling all-rounder Dasun Shanaka is likely to join Rajasthan Royals (RR) for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season as a replacement for injured Sam Curran, who has been ruled out due to a groin injury.

RR, the inaugural IPL champions, will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against five-time winners Chennai Super Kings at ACA Stadium in Guwahati on March 30. “The conversations are ongoing for Shanaka to join RR for the upcoming IPL season. Barring a few formalities which are yet to be completed, this seems to be a done deal and it’s pretty much going in that direction,” a franchise official told IANS on Sunday.

Shanaka went unsold at last year’s IPL auction in Abu Dhabi, and was later picked up by Lahore Qalandars in the upcoming season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for PKR 75 lakh. Once confirmed, Shanaka will become the second player after Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani to leave PSL and join IPL this year. South Africa’s seam-bowling all-rounder Corbin Bosch made a similar switch to IPL last year, leaving Peshawar Zalmi to sign with Mumbai Indians, prompting the PSL to impose a one-year ban on him.

Shanaka’s signing by RR is seen as a like-for-like replacement for Curran, especially with RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara knowing him very well due to both being from Sri Lanka. Moreover, RR assistant coach Vikram Rathour worked with Shanaka during Sri Lanka’s run to the Super Eights during this year’s Men’s T20 World Cup, where the all-rounder smashed two half-centuries.

Shanaka previously played in IPL 2023 for Gujarat Titans as a replacement for the injured New Zealand batter Kane Williamson, where he made 26 runs in three games. He was signed again by Gujarat Titans in 2025 as a mid-season replacement player for injured New Zealand batting all-rounder Glenn Phillips, but didn’t get a game to play.

–IANS

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