Dasun Shanaka Has Joined Gujarat Titans, Was NOT selected for CSK!

The 16^th Edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament, the most lucrative T20 league in the world, is in full swing, with several nail-biting finishes. IPL franchises showcase many of the top players from around the world. However, there are some quality international players also do not make the final cut, as each team can field only a maximum of 4 foreign players.

Dasun Shanaka, was one such omission. Despite some stellar performances, especially with the bat against India, the Sri Lankan captain was overlooked by all the franchises during the player action, which took place back in December 2022.

However, as the IPL tournament draws closer and especially during the initial phases of the tournament, injury woes to key players mean that the players who were left out initially, in the auction, like Dasun Shanaka, once again get a chance to be picked up by some franchises.

In this context, Dasun Shanaka’s name has been mentioned a number of times among social media fans, especially linking him to the two most successful IPL franchises, Mumbai Indians & Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Social Media Posts

Viral FB posts in Sri Lanka & India displayed a photo of Dasun Shanaka donning the famous yellow jersey of Chennai Super Kings, indicating the Sri Lankan T20 caption was tipped to be the replaced in the side in place of the injured New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, as seen below.

Facebook | Archived

These claims were shared virally among several Facebook users.

However, we found that even though Dasun was indeed drafted into IPL 2023 as a replacement player, it was not for CSK!

Fact Check

We first checked the official reports about the player replacement for Kyle Jamieson. IPL Media Advisory announced that CSK had signed in South Africa pacer Sisanda Magala as the replacement for the New Zealand fast bowler.

And even though there were claims, especially in Sinhala, linking Dasun Shanaka to Mumbai Indians, the five-time champions did not opt for the services of Sri Lanka’s hard-hitting batsman either.

However, the recent performances by Dasun did not go unnoticed, as he was eventually named in place of another injured batter, Kane Williamson, in the 2023 edition of the IPL, representing the Gujarat Titans. This is the very first that an IPL contract has been awarded to Dasun Shanaka.

Below is the official post from Gujarat Titans, naming Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun in their squad in place of the injured Williamson.

The official announcement of IPL about the inclusion of Dasun into the GT squad can be read here. Archived.

After the T20 series loss in New Zealand, Sri Lankan players who are part of the IPL franchises have joined their respective teams, and Dasun, too, was seen during his first net session with Gujarat.

Dasun Shanaka joins the 2022 IPL winners, Gujarat Titans, in place of New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson, who sustained a nasty knee injury during the first IPL game of the tournament, against Chennai Superkings.

Follow us and stay up to date with our latest fact checks.

Facebook | Twitter |Instagram | Google News | TikTok

Conclusion

CSK has not picked Dasun Shanaka; he is replacing the injured player Kane Williamson in the Gujarat Titans squad for IPL 2023.