Wanindu likely to lose IPL and 2 Crores

Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga is at risk of missing this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament due to an injury. The Lucknow Super Giants team, which he was scheduled to represent, has instead taken steps to include West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie in their squad. Motie previously represented the Lahore Qalandars team in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) tournament, but with the IPL opportunity,

he has withdrawn from that contract. Consequently, to fill the void created in the Lahore Qalandars team, they have taken the special step of calling up another Sri Lankan all-rounder, Dunith Wellalage, to the squad.

In the first match against Ireland during the T20 World Cup tournament held last February, Wanindu Hasaranga suffered a severe hamstring tear in his left leg. Although he managed to take 3 wickets for 25 runs in that match, due to the worsening injury, he had to withdraw completely from the World Cup tournament after an MRI scan. Currently, his rehabilitation (rehab) is ongoing in Singapore, and a specialist doctor from the United Kingdom has examined his medical reports. It has also been confirmed that there is no truth to some reports circulating that he has gone to India for treatment or made any statements.

According to the new regulations imposed by Sri Lanka Cricket regarding injured players, disabled players like Wanindu Hasaranga, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, and Ashan Malinga must pass a mandatory fitness test and medical clearance to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the IPL tournament. Since Wanindu has not yet faced that test, his opportunity to participate in this year's tournament has slipped away, but the Lucknow team has not officially released him yet. The Lucknow team bought him for a base bid of INR 2 crore at the player auction held in December 2025, and Gudakesh Motie, who replaced him, was an unsold player in the IPL auction.

Although Motie had previously entered into a contract worth PKR 1.1 crore (approximately INR 32 lakhs) with the Lahore Qalandars team, the financial value of his contract with the Lucknow team has not yet been officially announced. Wanindu's absence, having previously taken 45 wickets in 35 IPL matches (maintaining an economy rate of 6.82) representing Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals, will severely impact the Lucknow team's middle-overs bowling attack. In 2024, he also missed the entire IPL tournament due to a heel injury, and these recurring injuries have sparked a strong discussion about managing the workload of Sri Lankan players between national duties and franchise matches.