Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Wanindu Hasaranga will miss the 2024 IPL season due to a heel injury, prioritising rehab for the T20 World Cup.
Sri Lankan star spinner Wanindu Hasaranga will miss the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season due to a left heel injury, as confirmed by Sri Lanka Cricket. The news came after weeks of uncertainty surrounding his participation in the tournament.
According to Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva, Hasaranga will prioritise his recovery and focus on the upcoming T20 World Cup in June. “He needs rehabilitation after consulting a podiatrist. There’s swelling in his heel, and he’s been playing with injections. He decided to address this issue before the World Cup and informed us of his decision to skip the IPL,” de Silva told The Sunday Times, as quoted by NewsWire.
Hasaranga, acquired by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at his base price of ₹1.5 crore, was initially unavailable for the team as he opted to return to Test cricket for his national team. However, soon after, he earned a suspension for criticising umpires, which opened a potential window for him to join the IPL.
Despite the suspension allowing him to play in the IPL, Hasaranga did not feature in SRH’s first two matches because of the reported injury. Now, it has been confirmed that the player will miss the entire tournament.
Subsequently, Hasaranga is expected to travel to Dubai for expert advice on the injury so that he can be fully fit by the time the T20 World Cup kicks off in the Caribbean and the USA.
However, this development comes as a blow to SRH, who were hoping to utilise Hasaranga’s leg-spin expertise in their bowling attack. Currently, SRH has Shahbaz Ahmed, Washington Sundar, and Mayank Markhande, and they will need to find a suitable replacement for Hasaranga for the rest of the IPL season, as other teams have done.
Last Updated on March 31, 2024
