Wanindu Hasaranga was bought for INR 2 crore.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga has been ruled out of IPL 2026. He sustained a left hamstring injury during the T20 World Cup 2026 fixture against Ireland and has been out of action since then.
Earlier this week, Hasaranga decided against taking the mandatory fitness test, which is mandatory to obtain NOC from the cricket board for all Sri Lankan players. That confirmed that the LSG all-rounder might not be fit enough just yet, and a few recent reports had suggested that the franchise is already looking for replacements.
During the KKR vs LSG fixture at Eden Gardens, LSG’s Director of Cricket, Tom Moody, also said along the same lines, confirming that they are looking for replacements. He later added that a replacement for Wanindu Hasaranga, who was bought for INR 2 crore at the auction, will be announced in the coming days.
“We are preparing for the fact that he isn’t going to be able to join us. We are looking at replacements, that should be announced in 24-48 hours.”
According to ESPNcricinfo, South African all-rounder George Linde will replace Wanindu Hasaranga at LSG for the remainder of IPL 2026. A left-arm spinner with significant batting value in the lower order, Linde has been associated with Mumbai Indians franchise, MI Cape Town, in SA20.
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Linde has yet to feature in the IPL, but brings immense experience in T20s, having played as many as 250 matches in the format. He has 218 wickets at an average of 26.19 and an economy rate of 7.42 in 237 innings, including four four-wicket hauls.
Additionally, he has 2746 runs at a strike rate of 136.68 in 188 outings, with four fifties. Recently, George Linde was part of South Africa’s squad at the T20 World Cup 2026, where he took three wickets at an economy rate of 7.80 and scored 30 runs at a strike rate of 142.85.
Linde comes as a like-for-like replacement for Wanindu Hasaranga, even though the South African is not a wrist spinner with the ball. LSG played their latest contest against the Knight Riders with just three overseas players, and once the South African all-rounder links up with the squad, Manimaran Siddharth might sit out.
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