Lucknow Supergiants (LSG) are set to replace injured Sri Lankan leg-spinner Vanindu Hazaranga, the franchise’s director of cricket Tom Moody confirmed on Thursday.
A replacement will be named within the next 24 to 48 hours, Moody said. South African left-arm spinner George Linde, yet to make his IPL debut, is tipped to replace Hazaranga in the squad.
“We are preparing for him not being able to join us,” Moody said during LSG’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Kolkata on Thursday. “We are looking at replacements and will be notified within 24 to 48 hours.”
Hazaranga was sidelined with a torn left hamstring during Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup opener in February.
Reports this week indicated that the spinner had not completed the mandatory fitness tests under the supervision of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) required to obtain a no-obligation certificate (NOC) to participate in the IPL.
LSG bought Hazaranga for Rs 2 crore (approx. USD 222,000) in the latest auction, but he was unable to join the team due to injury.
He played for Rajasthan Royals last season and represented Royal Challengers Bangalore from 2021 to 2023.
Despite the absence of Hazaranga, LSG have produced an impressive bowling performance so far in IPL 2026. Their spin attack currently features Digvesh Rathi, M Siddharth and Shahbaz Ahmed.
Pacer Mohsin Khan was also unavailable from the side’s opening game, with Moody noting that he had experienced some “stiffness”.
Linde’s most recent T20 appearance came during the bilateral series against New Zealand, where he took just one wicket in four innings.
He featured in the T20 World Cup and in the last 12 months has been part of various franchise leagues including SA20, The Hundred, Major League Cricket and Pakistan Super League (PSL).
In total, he has taken 218 wickets in 250 T20 matches with an economy rate of 7.42.