Who is Dasun Shanaka? The New Face Joining Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2026!

Dasun Shanaka Set to Join Rajasthan Royals

New Delhi: Sri Lanka's all-rounder Dasun Shanaka is poised to join the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for the upcoming 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. This move comes as a response to the injury of Sam Curran, who has been sidelined due to a groin issue.

The Rajasthan Royals, who were the first champions of the IPL, are set to kick off their 2026 season against the Chennai Super Kings, a team that has won the title five times, at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on March 30. A franchise representative mentioned, “Discussions are currently underway for Shanaka to join RR for the next IPL season. Aside from a few formalities that remain, this deal appears to be nearly finalized.”

Shanaka was not picked during the previous IPL auction held in Abu Dhabi but later secured a contract with Lahore Qalandars for the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) season at a price of PKR 75 lakh. If this transfer to RR is confirmed, he will be the second player this year to transition from the PSL to the IPL, following Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani. Last year, South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch made a similar move, switching from Peshawar Zalmi to Mumbai Indians, which led to a one-year ban from the PSL.

The addition of Shanaka to RR is viewed as a direct substitute for Curran, particularly since RR's head coach Kumar Sangakkara is familiar with him, both being from Sri Lanka. Additionally, RR's assistant coach Vikram Rathour has previously collaborated with Shanaka during Sri Lanka's impressive performance in the Super Eights at this year's Men's T20 World Cup, where Shanaka notably scored two half-centuries.

In IPL 2023, Shanaka played for the Gujarat Titans as a replacement for the injured Kane Williamson, accumulating 26 runs over three matches. He was again signed by the Titans in 2025 as a mid-season replacement for Glenn Phillips but did not get the opportunity to play.