Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has impressed everyone with his recent few performances. In the white-ball series against India, Hasaranga picked up 10 wickets. The right-arm spinner bagged three scalps in the ODI leg while in the T20I series, he was the leading wicket-taker with seven scalps to his credit.
Riding on Hasaranga’s magical performance in the shortest format, the hosts also won their first T20I series against ‘Men in Blue’.
After the impressive show with the bowl, many fans across the world wished to see Hasaranga playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The cash-rich league is known as a huge global platform for aspiring talents to prove their mettle as it is the world’s toughest cricket tournament.
In his recent interaction with Sri Lanka legend Lasith Malinga, Hasaranga revealed that he was approached by two IPL sides after the India series. The Galle-born cricketer didn’t disclose the names of those IPL franchises but admitted that it’s his dream to play in the lucrative tournament.
“Two IPL teams have approached me after the series against India. Getting a chance to play in the IPL is a big deal, and it’s my dream to feature in the IPL one day,” said Hasaranga.
The 24-year-old is currently the second-ranked T20I bowler. He has so far played 21 T20Is for Sri Lanka, in which the leg-spinner has taken 33 wickets at an average of 14.45, with 4/9 being his best figures. Hasaranga has appeared in 60 T20s matches and has earned as many as 80 scalps, with 5/26 being his best performance.
During the Sri Lanka vs India series, former India cricketer Ashish Nehra praised Hasaranga for his splendid bowling and suggested that IPL teams, which need a spinner or a replacement, should go for the Lankan star.
“Only time will tell which franchise needs a replacement. But if there are discussions, and someone needs a spinner – he (Hasaranga) could be the guy. If a player plays for a year and a half, he is considered a senior player in T20Is. He is the No. 2 ranked T20I bowler, although I do not believe much in rankings,” Nehra had said on Cricbuzz.
