Dasun Shanaka is set to join Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2026 as a replacement for the injured Sam Curran, with the final paperwork for the move now being completed.

Shanaka has already informed his Pakistan Super League franchise, Lahore Qalandars, that he will opt out of his contract in order to take up the IPL opportunity. Qalandars are expected to bring in Australia allrounder Daniel Sams as his replacement.

Curran, who moved to Rajasthan Royals in a major pre-auction trade with Chennai Super Kings, has been ruled out of the season with a groin injury. The deal had seen Chennai acquire Sanju Samson, while Rajasthan also brought in Ravindra Jadeja. Curran’s absence is a blow for Royals given his value as a left-arm seam-bowling allrounder and his experience in high-pressure T20 cricket.

Shanaka arrives with timely form and strong credentials in the format. The Sri Lanka allrounder, who recently led his country at the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, has shown excellent touch with the bat, including a 20-ball fifty against Oman and an unbeaten 76 off 31 balls against Pakistan. His ability to finish innings and chip in with medium pace gives Rajasthan another flexible option in their overseas combination.

This will be Shanaka’s second stint in the IPL. His first came in 2023 with Gujarat Titans, where he featured in three matches without making a major impact. Rajasthan will now hope he can make a bigger contribution as they look to recover from a disappointing previous season, when they finished second from bottom.

Shanaka is also the second player in recent days to leave a PSL contract for an IPL replacement role, after Blessing Muzarabani opted out of his Islamabad United deal to join Kolkata Knight Riders.

Rajasthan begin their IPL 2026 campaign on March 30 in Guwahati against Chennai Super Kings.