Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga (Image: AFP)
The Sunrisers Hyderabad is set to miss out on the services of Wanindu Hasaranga as the player is reportedly looking to recover from a heel injury and be fully fit for the T20 World Cup.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad are set to miss the services of the Sri Lankan all-rounder, Wanindu Hasaranga who is currently nursing a heel injury. The leg-spinner was roped in for the franchise in the recent auctions for a bid worth 1.5 crores INR.
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According to a report by The Sunday Times, the leg-spinner has informed the Sri Lanka Cricket CEO, Ashley de Silva as he looks to recover from a heel injury ahead of the T20 World Cup that takes place in June 2024.
“He is not taking part in the IPL as he needs to do some rehabilitation after meeting the podiatrist,” confirmed the SLC CEO.
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“There’s a swelling in the heel and he has been playing with injections. So he has decided to get this issue sorted out before the World Cup and informed us of his decision to skip the IPL this year,” de Silva added.
Hasaranga has proven himself to be a match-winner, particularly with the ball. During his stint with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2022 where he picked up 26 wickets. He was unable to replicate the performances in 2023 which led to him being released from the franchise for the 2024 auctions.
SRH will certainly miss Hasaranga as they lack a go-to spinner in their current squad. Mayank Markande is their lead spinner in the current season along with Shahbaz Ahmad. So far the duo have only picked up 3 wickets of the 12 taken so far in the first two games of the season.
The Sri Lankan T20I captain can turn the tides in his side’s favour with both the ball and bat. He showcased this, especially in the Lanka Premier League 2023 where he picked up 19 wickets and scored 279 runs in the 10 games played to be the leading wicket-taker and run-scorer of the tournament as well.
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SRH have managed to win one game in the two they have played so far. They lost their opening fixture against the Kolkata Knight Riders in a closely fought contest which they lost by 4 runs.
They bounced back with a massive statement against the Mumbai Indians where they set the new record for the highest T20 innings score of 277 runs. They got the win over MI by 31 runs to pick up their first points of the season.
Hasaranga was recently elected as their T20I captain in December 2023 ahead of their series against Zimbabwe. He finished the three-match series with seven wickets leading the side to clinch the series as well. The skipper will prove to be a crucial factor in Sri Lanka’s chances of clinching the T20 World Cup.
