Discarded RCB Star elevated to the role of T20I captaincy

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had decided to do a major overhaul in the bowling department ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. They released the H-H-H trio of Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood and Wanindu Hasaranga, which surprised one and all. While the likes of Harshal and Hasaranga didn’t step up, they were quality players and would have been match-winners if given consistent chances.

Harshal fetched a whopping sum of INR 11.75 crore in the mini-auction, as Punjab Kings (PBKS) acquired him. The teams bid heavily for him, and PBKS eventually grabbed him. Wanindu Hasaranga was sold at the base price of INR 1.5 crore to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the auction.

However, Josh Hazlewood was unsold in the auction, which was a massive surprise. Hazlewood’s unavailability must have played a huge role since he will miss the first half or maybe even more due to the birth of his child. It won’t be a surprise if he gets sold as a replacement player before or during the league.

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Overall, RCB decided to look past their frontline bowlers. They could have stuck with at least a couple of them. Now, two of those players will feature in new franchises next season.

Discarded RCB Star elevated to the role of T20I captaincy

While RCB released Wanindu Hasaranga from their squad, the Sri Lankan team has named him their T20I captain for the Zimbabwe series. Hasaranga has never captained the national side before. It will be his first series as a leader.

Dasun Shanaka was the captain of the side previously, but he is not the leader anymore. However, Shanaka is part of the team as a player. Hasaranga, who has been terrific for Sri Lanka in the shortest format, will kick off a fresh season in a new role.

Kusal Mendis will take over the leadership of the ODI team. He was also the captain of Sri Lanka in the World Cup in the absence of Dasun Shanaka. It will be a new start for Sri Lanka, who have struggled to win games consistently recently.

Hasaranga missed the Asia Cup and the World Cup due to an injury he sustained in the Lanka Premier League (LPL). It will be his first international game since July 2023. The ODI leg of the Zimbabwe series will start from January 6, 2024.

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