Sri Lanka legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga has been ruled out of IPL 2026 due to injury, his franchise Lucknow Super Giants said on Thursday.
Hasaranga is yet to recover from a hamstring injury, which he sustained in February.
LSG is expected to announce a replacement for the Sri Lankan spinner within 24-48 hours. According to reports, South Africa left-arm spinner George Linde, who hasn’t played in the league yet, is likely to be named as his replacement.
“Wanindu Hasaranga won’t be able to join us and we are preparing to get a replacement in the next 24 to 48 hours,” LSG global director Tom Moody told IPL broadcaster JioStar during LSG’s match against KKR on Thursday.
Hasaranga has not played competitive cricket for nearly two months now, with reports suggesting he is still unable to bowl and has not yet requested for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Sri Lanka Cricket.
LSG had bought Hasaranga for Rs 2 crore during last year’s auction in December. However, he was not able to join the squad after picking up the injury. Hasaranga was with the Rajasthan Royals last season and with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) from 2021 to 2023.
Coming to the match at the Eden Gardens on Thursday evening, LSG pulled off a thrilling three-wicket win over KKR on the last ball, chasing 182. Ayush Badoni (54) and Mukul Choudhary (54*) led the charge with their half-centuries, with Mukul finishing the game in style in the final over.
