Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are preparing to swap out injured Sri Lankan legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga, with the franchise’s director of cricket Tom Moody confirming that a replacement will be named soon. Moody said the team expects to announce the change within the next 24 to 48 hours.
LSG are likely to turn to South Africa left-arm spinner George Linde as Hasaranga’s cover, with Linde yet to feature in the IPL.
Moody explained the approach during LSG’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Kolkata on Thursday. “We are preparing for the fact that he isn’t going to be able to join us,” Moody said. “We are looking at replacements, that should be announced in 24-48 hours.”
Hasaranga has been unavailable since injuring his left hamstring during Sri Lanka’s first match of the T20 World Cup in February. Earlier this week, it was reported that Hasaranga had not completed the required fitness tests under Sri Lanka Cricket’s supervision, a step that was necessary to secure an NOC for participation in the IPL.
LSG had secured Hasaranga for INR 2 crore (about US$222,000) at the most recent auction. However, the legspinner was unable to join the squad after sustaining the injury. He played for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the previous season and was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) from 2021 through 2023.
Even without Hasaranga, LSG have delivered strong bowling displays in IPL 2026 so far. Their spin unit has been led by Digvesh Rathi and M Siddharth, alongside Shahbaz Ahmed. Moody also noted that fast bowler Mohsin Khan has remained sidelined since LSG’s opening game, describing the issue as “stiffness.”
Linde’s most recent T20 appearance came during the bilateral series against New Zealand, where he managed just one wicket across four innings. He has been involved in the T20 World Cup and has also played in franchise competitions over the past year, including SA20, The Hundred, Major League Cricket, and the PSL. Across 250 T20 matches, Linde has taken 218 wickets, maintaining an economy rate of 7.42.
