"I'm sure there will be something for me in India" - Dasun Shanaka on his aspirations to play in the IPL

Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka is hopeful that he will get to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the future.

Incidentally, Shanaka, who had a base price of ₹50 lakh, remained unsold at the IPL 2023 mini-auction that took place in December last year. However, his exploits with the bat when Sri Lanka toured India last month left the franchises regretting their decision.

Shanaka hit the Indian bowlers right, left, and center and earned praise from one and all. The right-handed batter struck 45 off just 27 balls in the first T20I but couldn't power his side home. However, he took his batting a notch higher in the second game, smashing 56 off only 22 deliveries with the help of two boundaries and six maximums to help the Lankans win the contest.

While there was a lot of buzz about the Sri Lankan skipper not getting an IPL deal, Shanaka finally broke his silence, saying that he is looking forward to playing in the cash-rich T20 league.

“When it comes to India, the pitches are batting friendly," he told Hindustan Times. "So, I enjoy those conditions very much. It's (aggressive batting) in my game, my instinctive reactions come to play there.

"I don't mind that I didn't get picked in the IPL. I'm sure there will be something for me in India in the future. So I'm looking forward for that opportunity to play in the IPL."

Shanaka, who mostly bats at No. 5 and 6, has amassed 1328 runs in 85 T20Is at a strike rate of over 120, with five fifties. He also has 23 wickets to his name.

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"I won’t have money" - Gautam Gambhir on buying Dasun Shanaka at IPL auction

Shanaka's recent batting exploits have not gone unnoticed. Former Indian batter and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor Gautam Gambhir said that the Sri Lankan cricketer would be extremely expensive at the auction if the series took place before the auction.

“I won’t have money, he would be that expensive, the way he has batted," Gambhir had said on Star Sports. "That is what the auction is all about. Imagine if this series had happened just before the auction, some of the franchises would probably not have had the money to buy him."

Shanaka was recently seen in action in the ongoing ILT20, plying trade for the Dubai Capitals. They lost the Eliminator against MI Emirates in Sharjah on Thursday, February 9.

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