Sri Lankan all-rounder and T20I captain Dasun Shanaka, who was signed by Rajasthan Royals (RR) as an injury replacement for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2026), has now faced a one-year ban from the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2026). Notably, Shanaka had gone unsold at the IPL 2026 auction last December but was picked up by Lahore Qalandars for PSL 2026.
However, with RR star Sam Curran getting ruled out for the season due to a groin injury, the Royals roped in Shanaka, who then decided to pull out of PSL. The decision has now prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to impose a ban.
A statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) read, “The review concluded that the player’s unilateral withdrawal from the tournament constituted a clear breach of both the Player Registration terms and the Tripartite Agreement. The findings indicated that the withdrawal was made on grounds not recognized within the existing contractual framework.”
The 34-year-old, who was signed by the Qalandar for PKR 75 lakh have issued an apology for his decision to withdraw. The same was conveyed in the PCB media release.
Expressing regret, Shanaka was quoted as saying, “I deeply regret my decision to withdraw from the HBL PSL and offer my sincere apologies to the people of Pakistan, the fans of HBL PSL, and the wider cricket community.”
Shanaka, who has previously played for the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL is yet to make his debut in Rajasthan colours.
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Apart from Shanaka, Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani too was fined for terminating his PSL 2026 contract to play for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2026. However, Muzarabani did not take it lightly and decided to hit back at the PSL ban. His agency, World Sports Xchange, has now challenged the PCB and highlighted that the pacer did not receive an official contract in the first place.
Australian speedster Spencer Johnson is also another overseas star who can face a likely sanction. He had snubbed his PSL 2026 contract and joined the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for IPL 2026 as Nathan Ellis replacement.
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