Dasun Shanaka (Image: IANS)

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka is set to join the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for the upcoming IPL 2026 season as a replacement for injured England all-rounder Sam Curran.RR have been forced into a late squad change after Sam Curran was ruled out of the tournament due to a groin injury. The franchise quickly moved to secure Shanaka, with sources indicating that the deal is nearly complete, pending minor paperwork related to his commitments in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Another PSL-to-IPL Switch

Shanaka’s move marks yet another instance of players switching from the PSL to the IPL. Recently, Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani left his PSL stint to join Kolkata Knight Riders as a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman. This growing trend highlights the IPL’s continued dominance as the most lucrative and competitive T20 league in world cricket. 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’s Recent Form

Under Shanaka’s leadership, co-hosts Sri Lanka had crashed out in the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup, Shanaka scored 165 runs including a 31-ball 76 not out against Pakistan, while he also took three wickets in the T20 World Cup. Having gone unsold at the IPL’s mini-auction last December, Shanaka was picked up by PSL franchise Lahore Qalandars. 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. While Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara is the Royals’ head coach, former India batting coach Vikram Rathour is the assistant coach of the side. Rathour was the consulting batting coach of Sri Lanka during the T20 World Cup.

England’s Will Jacks, left, and Rehan Ahmed (Photo by AP)

England pull off an exciting four-wicket win over New Zealand in the T20 World Cup Super Eights, thanks to a brilliant late fightback by Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed. The victory keeps Pakistan’s semifinal hopes alive, while England finish top of Group 2 with three wins from three matches.

England pulled off an exciting four-wicket win over New Zealand in the T20 World Cup Super Eights, thanks to a brilliant late fightback by Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed. The victory kept Pakistan’s semifinal hopes alive, while England finished top of Group 2 with three wins from three matches. New Zealand batted first and posted 159 for seven in 20 overs. Their batters got good starts but failed to convert them into big scores. Glenn Phillips scored 39, Tim Seifert made 35, and Finn Allen added 29. England’s spinners played a key role in controlling the innings, with Jacks, Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed picking up two wickets each to slow the scoring in the middle overs. England’s chase began poorly as they lost two early wickets and struggled at 58 for four. Harry Brook attempted to steady the innings, but New Zealand kept striking at regular intervals. Tom Banton and Sam Curran added valuable runs, yet England slipped to 117 for six in 17 overs, still needing 43 runs from 18 balls. At that stage, New Zealand appeared firmly in control. However, Jacks and Rehan had other plans. They attacked Glenn Phillips in the 18th over, smashing 22 runs to shift the momentum. The duo then collected 16 runs off Mitchell Santner in the next over, putting England on course for victory. With confidence high, they calmly guided the team home with three balls to spare. Earlier, there had been a brief moment of drama when Seifert was wrongly given out, only for TV replays to overturn the decision. In the end, England held their nerve to complete a thrilling comeback win.

New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips plays a shot during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between New Zealand and Canada at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai, on February 17, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI