Mumbai Indians in talks with Sri Lanka's white-ball captain Charith Asalanka for IPL 2025 playoffs
Mumbai Indians are in talks with Sri Lanka's white-ball captain Charith Asalanka for the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs, which begins on May 29. The development comes in considering the fact that the five-time champions will be missing South Africa's Corbin Bosch and Ryan Rickelton and England's Will Jacks, if they qualify for the playoffs.
While both Bosch and Rickelton are a part of South Africa's World Test Championship (WTC) bound squad, Jacks is a part of the England team that travels to West Indies for ODI and T20I series, starting from May 29. Asalanka comes in with a reputation of hitting the ball hard.
According to a Newswire report, Asalanka has been approached by Mumbai Indians to join the squad for the remainder of the IPL 2025. 'Sri Lanka's white-ball captain Charith Asalanka has reportedly been approached by Mumbai Indians to join the squad for the remainder of the IPL 2025 season,' read the report.
'The franchise is expected to miss key overseas players — South Africa's Corbin Bosch and Ryan Rickelton, and England's Will Jacks — if they qualify for the playoffs due to international commitments,' it added.
The IPL 2025 was originally slated for a May 25 finish. But with the India-Pakistan conflict, the tournament was halted for a week. It will resume on May 17, with June 3 being finalised as the date for final.
The one-week pause also gave a major headache to the some of the franchises as the revised schedule coincided with the West Indies vs England series and the WTC final preparation plans.
If Asalanka joins Mumbai Indians, he will become the third Sri Lankan cricketer to join the cash-rich league as replacement players. Dasun Shanaka has already joined Gujarat Titans while the Shubman Gill-led franchise are already in talks with Kusal Mendis.
Mumbai Indians started with four losses in their first five games before winning six games on the bounce. They now have 14 points from 12 games and need to win both their remaining games to stand a chance to qualify for the playoffs.
Stay updated on all the action from the IPL 2025. Check the IPL 2025 Schedule, track the latest IPL 2025 Points Table, and follow the top performers with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.
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