Eshan Malinga injury before T20 World Cup 2026 has put a question mark on his IPL 2026 participation.
Sri Lanka are dealing a huge blow just ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 due to an unfortunate injury to Eshan Malinga. The pacer sustained the setback during the second home T20I against England. According to the latest reports, he has dislocated his shoulder and might be ruled out of the forthcoming ICC championship. The expected time for his comeback is yet to be known.
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If the youngster fails to recover on time, he might miss out on his second Indian Premier League (IPL) stint with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The debutant had put up a noteworthy show in the IPL 2025, snaring 13 wickets in seven appearances at an impressive economy of 8.92.
Let’s look at three seam bowling options whom SRH might consider bringing in if Eshan gets sidelined from the IPL 2026. All of them were unsold in the mini auction.
The Australian pacer could be a great choice for SRH to replace Eshan Malinga in their squad for the upcoming season. Previously, Jhye Richardson played for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and the Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2021 and IPL 2024, respectively. But he could manage only three scalps in four matches at an economy rate of 10.46.
However, the 29-year-old has had a successful season in the latest edition of the Big Bash League. Richardson scalped 11 wickets in seven matches and played a key role in the Perth Scorchers’ record sixth title win in Australia’s T20 tournament.
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Riley Meredith is another Australian player who could replace the bowler in the SRH IPL 2026 squad. The seamer has represented PBKS and the Mumbai Indians (MI) in three seasons of the cash-rich league since IPL 2021. In his 18 appearances, Meredith has picked up 19 wickets at an economy of 9.46. The bowler also snared 14 wickets in 12 matches for Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL 2025-26.
The Orange Army might opt for England bowler Richard Gleeson. The 38-year-old has played only three matches since his debut in IPL 2024, snaring a wicket each for MI and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
But the speedster has showcased a decent run for the Super Kings’ sister franchise in the recently concluded SA20 2026. He scalped nine wickets in six fixtures at an economy of 10.13 for the Joburg Super Kings (JSK).
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