IPL 2023: GT name Dasun Shanaka as Kane Williamson's replacement

AHEMEDABAD: Gujarat Titans (GT) on Tuesday named Dasun Shanaka as a replacement for Kane Williamson for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Williamson suffered an on-field injury to his right leg while attempting a catch at the boundary in the tournament opener against Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 31.

Williamson suffered an on-field injury to his right leg while attempting a catch at the boundary in the tournament opener against Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 31.

Sri Lanka's white-ball captain Shanaka is an explosive middle-order batter who also bowls right-arm seam. Shanaka was on fire in the recent T20I in India, smashing 124 runs in three innings at an S/R of 187 while averaging 62.00.

He was also Sri Lanka's leading run-scorer in the subsequent ODI series, scoring 121 runs in three innings. Signed for his base price of INR 50 lakh, this will be Shanaka's maiden season in IPL.

Williamson will now head home to New Zealand for further assessment. The Gujarat Titans will finalise a replacement for the right-handed batter and an announcement will be made in due course.

Williamson made an attempt to stop the ball from going over the boundary for a six during the match. He landed awkwardly on the ground and it was clear that he had ended up hurting himself while making that effort. He was forced off the field and Sai Sudarshan came in as the impact player.

Gujarat Titans went on to defeat Chennai Super Kings and secure a victory in their IPL Campaign opener by 5 wickets. Williamson was bought by GT in the IPL 2023 auction last year for Rs 2 crore.