There’s been no confirmation on a replacement for Hasaranga but it is understood Sunrisers are on the lookout.
Hasaranaga, who last played during Sri Lanka’s limited-overs series in Bangladesh in March, was treated by SLC medical staff who suspected the pain in his left heel was because of wear and tear of the musculo-skeletal apparatus. He was meant to travel overseas for specialist consultation before getting clearance from SLC to play in the IPL. Sunrisers head coach Daniel Vettori said on Thursday that Hasaranga had consulted a specialist in Dubai, following which the news of his withdrawal emerged.
Hasaranga was bought by Sunrisers at his base price of INR 1.5 crore (approx USD $181,000) at the 2024 IPL auction in December last year. He was previously with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who paid INR 10.75 crore for him at the 2022 IPL auction. He had a superb season in 2022, taking 26 wickets with an economy of 7.54, but in 2023 he played only eight games and took nine wickets with an economy of 8.9.
Hasaranga will be a key player for Sri Lanka at the T20 World Cup, which starts on June 1 in the USA and the Caribbean, if he recovers in time for the tournament.