IPL 2024 SRH's Hasaranga ruled out with heel injury, confirms SLC CEO
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) were dealt a heavy blow as their ace spin bowling option, Wanindu Hasaranga, has been ruled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The news was confirmed by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Chief Executive Officer Ashley de Silva.
“He is not taking part in the IPL as he needs to do some rehabilitation after meeting the podiatrist. There's a swelling in the heel and he has been playing with injections. So he decided to resolve this issue before the World Cup and informed us of his decision to skip the IPL this year,” de Silva was quoted as saying to a local newspaper in Sri Lanka.
Why is Hasaranga's Unavailability Bad News for Hyderabad?
The non-availability would be a huge blow to the Hyderabad side which only has Mayank Markande as a leg-spin option.
It was a left heel injury that Hasaranga picked up during Sri Lanka's tour of Bangladesh earlier this month. It's bad news for SRH, especially due to the multi-faceted gameplay that Hasaranga brings into the equation. He could have made a real impact in the second half of the season with the pitches expected to get slower.
Not only as a bowler but also as a lower-order batter, he could have been equally important.
Money No Factor Behind Hasaranga Being Out of IPL 2024
Hasaranga, who was paid Rs 10.75 crore in the IPL 2022 auction, could get only Rs 1.5 crore in the IPL 2024 auction. Rumors had it that it was due to the huge difference in his price that he was avoiding playing this season for IPL and risking his body ahead of the T20 World Cup.
However, those rumors were called baseless by Hasaranga's manager who in a statement to Cricbuzz said, “We could have enrolled for an INR 2 crore base price if money was a factor. Besides, fewer games mean less money. He has to take care of his ankle. He is also the captain of the national team.”
First Published: Mar 31 2024 | 5:30 pm ist