The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have decided to replace Wanindu Hasaranga. The Sri Lankan leg-spinner has been on the sidelines since early February, after he suffered a tear in his left hamstring during the T20 World Cup 2026.
LSG moves on from Hasaranga
LSG were hopeful that Hasaranga would join them. However, the all-rounder has failed to report to his Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 franchise. At this moment, the Rishabh Pant-led team has no idea about Hasaranga’s availability or fitness. “We don’t have any concrete update on Wanindu Hasaranga,” a source told Cricbuzz.
It’s learnt that last week, Hasaranga had a training session at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. However, he only batted and didn’t bowl. For the unversed, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has made clearing a fitness test compulsory for players if they wish to acquire a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for franchise leagues.
This has forced Nuwan Thushara, a fast bowler in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s squad, to take the SLC to court. Matheesha Pathirana hasn’t been granted a fitness clearance either, but the Kolkata Knight Riders are hopeful that he’ll feature in IPL 2026.
Injury replacement finalised
Fed up with the situation, LSG had decided to take matters into their own hands. They’ve finalised four potential replacements for Hasaranga, one spinner and three all-rounders. These are Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi, and England’s Liam Dawson and Rehan Ahmed.
All three were in the RAPP (Registered Available Player Pool) list but failed to find a bidder. Since the team can only replace players from this list, these are the like-for-like options LSG have for Hasaranga.
Mujeeb and Nabi have IPL experience, having played at least 20 matches each. The former featured for the Mumbai Indians last year, while the latter last played in 2024. Dawson and Rehan are yet to feature in the league. However, they are highly sought-after players in other leagues.
Potential Wanindu Hasaranga replacements for KKR
| Player | Country | Type | Spin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | Afghanistan | Bowler | Off/Mystery |
| Mohammad Nabi | Afghanistan | All-rounder | Off |
| Liam Dawson | England | All-rounder | Left-arm orthodox |
| Rehan Ahmed | England | All-rounder | Leg |
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