Rajasthan Royals just announced that Sri Lankan all-rounder and T20I captain Dasun Shanaka will step in for Sam Curran for IPL 2026. Curran, who played for Chennai Super Kings in 2025, got traded to RR along with Ravindra Jadeja in exchange for Sanju Samson, but an injury has forced him out of the tournament.
Kumar Sangakkara, the team’s director of cricket and head coach, didn’t hide his disappointment. “Losing a player like Sam right before the season stings,” he said. “He adds a lot with both bat and ball. Still, we’re glad to have Dasun Shanaka join us. He’s a dangerous finisher and a quality all-rounder. He keeps our squad balanced.”
The Royals picked Shanaka for INR 2 Crore. He’s got plenty of experience—over 130 T20Is, more than 70 ODIs, plus six Test matches for Sri Lanka. Altogether, he’s racked up over 3,350 international runs and picked up 86 wickets. He’s not new to the league either; Shanaka played for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023.
Interestingly, Shanaka didn’t find a taker at last year’s IPL auction in Abu Dhabi. Instead, he headed to the Pakistan Super League, signing with Lahore Qalandars. Now, he becomes just the second player after Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani to leave the PSL mid-contract and join the IPL this year. We saw a similar situation last season when Corbin Bosch left Peshawar Zalmi for Mumbai Indians, which led the PSL to hand him a one-year suspension.
Shanaka’s previous IPL stint with the Titans didn’t really make headlines—he scored 26 runs in three games filling in for an injured Kane Williamson. He came back as a mid-season replacement for Glenn Phillips in 2025 but didn’t make it onto the field.
The Royals start their 2026 campaign against Chennai Super Kings at ACA Stadium in Guwahati on March 30.
