Wanindu Hasaranga has been officially ruled out of the ongoing IPL 2026 season. On Thursday, during the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants (KKR vs LSG) match, on behalf of LSG, Tom Moody informed that the Sri Lankan spin bowling allrounder has been ruled out, and they are all set to announce the replacement within a couple of days.
On Friday, within 24 hours after the match in Kolkata, it is reported that South Africa spinner George Linde is all set to join the Lucknow-based franchise for the ongoing IPL season. It will be a like-for-like substitution, as like Wanindu Hasaranga, the Protea is also a spin bowling allrounder.
South Africa international George Linde is all set to join LSG to replace the injured Wanindu Hasaranga
Cricbuzz reported that South African all-rounder will replace Wanindu Hasaranga for the remainder of IPL 2026 Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Liam Dawson were also under consideration but LSG have opted to go with Linde.
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“We are sort of preparing for him not to be available for us. So, we are in the process of finalising a replacement that will be announced in the next 24-48 hours,” Tom Moody, the Global Director of Cricket for LSG, said while talking to the broadcaster during the Kolkata Knight Riders vs the Lucknow Super Giants (KKR vs LSG) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Why was Wanindu Hasaranga ruled out of the IPL 2026?
Because of a serious injury issue, the Lankan all-rounder was uncertain to participate in this year’s IPL, even before the beginning of the tournament. It was earlier reported that a serious left hamstring tear has kept Hasaranga away from any kind of competitive matches. He received the injury on February 8, during the T20 World Cup. Ahead of the season, Super Giants secured the service of the spinner for INR 2 crore.
Meanwhile, LSG secured a stunning win against the Kolkata Knight Riders, last night at the Eden Gardens. Mukul Choudhary’s unbeaten fifty-plus run knock secured the win for the team. Though, despite the heroics by the emerging batter, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif is not happy at all with the LSG captain Rishabh Pant.
Mohammed Kaif’s advice for Rishabh Pant
Pant suffered another underwhelming stint with the bat, dismissed for only 10 in a crucial moment. Kaif said that when the team was under pressure, it was Rishabh Pant’s duty to stay and drive the innings from the front.
“But against KKR, the team needed him to stay till the end. He is an experienced player, having been in the IPL since 2016. The situation when he came out to bat was not particularly difficult. LSG had already scored 41 in the first five overs. One batter needed to take responsibility and bat through the chase. That role was meant for Pant,” Kaif said about Rishabh Pant while speaking on Star Sports.
The former international cricketer urged the keeper-batter to maintain a consistent performance as a captain’s job is to stay on the crease till the end. For that, Kaif advises Pant to read the match well.
“He did well against SRH, but he needs to find consistency. Playing one good knock and then failing in the next few games is not enough. He has to read the match situation better and learn when to shift gears. A Captain’s job is to stay till the end in a chase, and that is something Pant must work on,” he added.
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