File photo of Dasun Shanaka.© AFP
Sri Lanka all-rounder Dasun Shanaka is all set to join Rajasthan Royals in a major switch from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) to the Indian Premier League (IPL). The player had gone unsold during IPL’s mini-auction held in Abu Dhabi last year. After this, Shanaka went into the PSL auction and found himself a buyer in Lahore Qalandars. The side paid PKR 75 lakh to acquire the services of the all-rounder. With Shanaka’s move completed, he will become the second player after Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani in recent times to shift from the PSL to the IPL.
Shanaka will come in as a replacement for Sam Curran in the RR squad, said a report on Cricbuzz. It added that just a few formalities are pending in the deal.
With the schedule for the first phase of the IPL 2026 season announced, the Riyan Parag-led Rajasthan Royals are set to play their campaign opener against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Guwahati on March 30.
Then, the Rajasthan Royals are scheduled to play on April 4 against the Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Their third fixture will be against five-time champions Mumbai Indians on April 7, followed by their match against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 10.
Earlier, the Rajasthan-based franchise was involved in one of the biggest trades in IPL history ahead of the 2026 season.
Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who had been the face of RR for more than a decade, representing the franchise across 11 seasons, was traded to the five-time champions CSK and will now don the yellow colours during the IPL 2026 edition. In return, the inaugural champions got England all-rounder Curran and veteran player Ravindra Jadeja from CSK.
Notably, Jadeja was part of the Rajasthan squad that lifted the inaugural IPL trophy in 2008 under the captaincy of the late Australian spinner Shane Warne.
The veteran all-rounder represented the franchise during the 2008 and 2009 seasons before moving to other teams in the years that followed.
(With ANI Inputs)