3 reasons why Dasun Shanaka replacing Kane Williamson for GT is the right move

Defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) on Tuesday (April 4), announced that Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka has replaced Kane Williamson in the squad for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.

Williamson, who was bought by the franchise for the base price of ₹2 crore, was ruled out for the rest of the season after enduring a knee injury while fielding in the tournament-opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 31.

This will be the maiden IPL season for Shanaka, who will be roped in by GT for his base price of ₹50 lacs. The move could be extremely beneficial for GT as the Lankan captain is a skilled tactician and has proved his worth on a number of occasions on the international circuit.

With Shanaka joining the GT camp as Williamson's replacement, let's take a look at three possible reasons why this could be the right move for the Gujarat-based franchise.

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#3 A multi-faceted player

New Zealand v Sri Lanka - 3rd ODI

It's a no-brainer that players with multiple skill sets prove to be gold for any T20 team. A great team always contains multi-faceted players who can operate in more than one role for their side.

Adding Shanaka to the squad can benefit Gujarat massively as he has effectively shown that he can contribute in all three departments.

Apart from amassing over 3,700 T20 runs to his name, Shanaka also has 59 wickets in the shortest format. The 31-year old's medium-paced bowling can smartly be utilized on used wickets in the second half of the season.

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#2 Will bring experience to the leadership group

Afghanistan v Sri Lanka - ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Having been Sri Lanka's T20I captain since 2019 and ODI captain since 2021, Shanaka has captained his nation a total of 68 times in international matches.

Ever since becoming the Sri Lankan white-ball skipper, the all-rounder has instilled a fresh energy into his side. He even led the island nation to their first-ever Asia Cup win in eight years when Sri Lanka beat Pakistan at the mega event last year in the UAE.

Even though the camaraderie between Hardik Pandya and Ashish Nehra and the other coaching staff has been phenomenal so far, Shanaka could well add a new aspect to the leadership group at GT.

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#1 A player for crunch situations

Dasun Shanaka slammed a century against India in India earlier this year [BCCI]

Owing to Shanaka's remarkable determination and fighting character, his inclusion in the IPL was repeatedly asked by the fans for some time now.

The Negombo-born showcased to the Indian crowd his batting abilities when he mustered 124 runs at an average of 69 and at a marvelous strike rate of 187.88 in the T20I series against India earlier this year. He carried his form to the ODIs as well, smashing his second ODI century in 87 balls in Guwahati.

Over the last couple of years, Shanaka has been the rescue guy for Sri Lanka, bailing his team out of several precarious situations. Shanaka is distinctive because of his toughness, thus GT might've been wise to bolster their team with yet another individual who excels in clutch situations.