Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka handed one-year PSL ban for IPL switch

Staff Report

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday said Sri Lankan cricketer Dasun Shanaka had been banned from participating in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) over his “unilateral withdrawal” from this year’s tournament. Shanaka left Lahore Qalanders to play for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals In a statement, the cricket board said that “the player’s unilateral withdrawal from the tournament on March 21, 2026, constituted a clear breach of both the Player Registration terms and the Tripartite Agreement”. As a penalty, the cricket board declared the player ineligible to participate in the next edition of the PSL — scheduled for 2027. The PCB said that as per its findings, Shanaka’s withdrawal was “made on grounds not recognised within the existing contractual framework”. The statement also quoted Shanaka as saying that he “deeply” regretted his decision to withdraw from the tournament.  “I deeply regret my decision to withdraw from the PSL and offer my sincere apologies to the people of Pakistan, the fans of PSL, and the wider cricket community,” Shanaka said. The player held that PSL was a “prestigious tournament” and apologised to Lahore Qalandars fans.  “I fully understand the disappointment caused by my actions,” he said.  “I have the greatest respect for Pakistani fans and have always enjoyed my time in Pakistan,” he added, expressing hope to return to the tournament with “renewed dedication and the trust of the fans”.

The PCB said that while it acknowledged the player’s “expression of regret and his stated passion for playing in Pakistan [..] the severity of the contractual violations necessitates regulatory action to maintain the integrity and exclusivity of the league”. It added that it remained committed to “upholding the professional standards and binding nature of its player contracts to ensure the continued success of the PSL brand”. The IPL and PSL have been held almost simultaneously in recent years, making it difficult for international players to feature in both tournaments. Last week, the PCB had also imposed a two-edition ban on Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani for breaching his contractual commitments with Islamabad United. He had withdrawn from the tournament to join IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders as a replacement for Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman. Last year, South Africa’s Corbin Bosch was handed a one-edition ban after opting to play in the IPL instead of representing Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL.