He can be a replacement player for KKR.
Former Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer Dilshan Madushanka bowled a terrific spell in a high-scoring T20 World Cup 2026 encounter between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Pallekele. He will be on KKR’s radar as a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman, who was barred from participating in IPL 2026.
Madushanka took three wickets for 33 runs at an economy rate of 8.20 in his four-over spell. He dismissed big batters like Sahibzada Farhan (100), Khawaja Nafay (2), and Shaheen Afridi (4) to help Sri Lanka restrict Pakistan on 212/8 when they looked set to score a lot more after the 15-over mark.
A notable feature about this spell was his ability to control the flow of runs in death overs, where his yorkers and natural angle made his low full-tosses hard to hit. No other Sri Lankan bowler had a better economy than Dilshan Madushanka’s, and as many as four of their bowlers went for more than 10 runs per over.
Unfortunately, his spell went in vain, as his team lost the game by a modest 5-run margin despite Dasun Shanaka’s late cameo. However, the left-arm pacer has definitely increased his chances of being an IPL replacement should the need arise.
Like Mustafizur Rahman, Dilshan Madushanka is a left-arm pacer who adds decent value with the new ball and has shown decent skills in slog. So, he can be a like-for-like replacement for KKR, especially since he has improved massively as a T20 bowler.
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When Mumbai Indians bought him for IPL 2024, Madushanka didn’t participate due to an injury. But he has come a long way since then and can be a useful backup if KKR don’t want to use him straight away.
Not enough quality left-arm pacers are available to choose from, so the Knight Riders must settle for the best among the lot. Madushanka was also brilliant against England earlier at the T20 World Cup, finishing the tournament with five wickets at 22.40 runs apiece and an economy rate of 8 across four outings.
Not only KKR, but other IPL franchises can also look at him as a possible replacement player if one of their fast bowlers gets injured at any stage of IPL 2026. Madushanka has done his part by showing his performances just ahead of the tournament.
Note: Dilshan Madushanka can only come as a replacement player if he registered himself for the auction. While he was not shortlisted for the IPL 2026 auction, teams are allowed to sign any registered player as a replacement.
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