Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka given one-year PSL ban for unilateral withdrawal

Sri Lanka all-rounder Dasun Shanaka, who withdrew from ​this year’s Pakistan Super League and ‌later joined Rajasthan Royals in ​the Indian Premier League, ⁠has been banned from the next edition of the PSL, the Pakistan ‌Cricket Board said on Monday.

Shanaka is the latest international ‌player to be suspended ‌after ⁠leaving the PSL and joining ⁠the Indian league, which runs almost simultaneously, after Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani got a ​two-year ban ‌earlier this month.

The Pakistani board said in a statement that 34-year-old Shanaka, who captained Sri Lanka ‌in this year’s T20 World ​Cup, had unilaterally withdrawn from the PSL last month.

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“The ⁠findings indicated that the withdrawal was made on grounds not ‌recognised within the existing contractual framework,” it said.

Shanaka, who is yet to appear for Rajasthan this season, said in a statement that he deeply regretted ‌the decision to withdraw, and had no ​intention of joining any other tournament when he pulled ⁠out of the PSL.

“I hope to ⁠return to the PSL in the future with renewed ‌dedication and the trust of the fans,” he added.

Published on Apr 20, 2026