Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga unavailable for IPL 2021 playoffs

The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board has officially confirmed through a press release that two Sri Lankan players who will feature in phase 2 of the Indian Premier League 2021 have given the NOC to participate.

Wanindu Hasaranga and Dusmantha Chameera, who both have been picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore, are also important members of the Sri Lankan team. And with Sri Lanka playing series against South Africa and the T20 World Cup coming up, there were questions over whether the duo will be given the NOC to participate in the IPL.

The Sri Lanka Cricket announced through an official press release that both Hasaranga and Chameera had been given the NOC to participate after a meeting with the Technical Advisory Committee.

The official press reads, "The 'No Objection Certificate' to the duo (Hasaranga and Chameera) was issued for them to join the IPL teams starting from 15th September (following the completion of the South Africa Tour of Sri Lanka)."

The press release also contains that both of them have been the NOC to play in the IPL and will return to join the Sri Lankan team on 10th October for the warm-up matches before the T20 World Cup, "The two players will join the Sri Lanka squad on 10th October 2021 to play in the two warm-up games prior to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifiers."

As a result, both of them will only be available for the league stages of the tournament, and if RCB advances to the playoffs, they will miss the services of the Sri Lankan duo as the playoffs are rescheduled to start from 10th October.

Wanindu Hasaranga and Dusmantha Chameera, who both have come in as a replacement of Adam Zampa and Daniel Sams, performed well against India in the T20I series played in July.

Wanindu Hasaranga, the all-rounder, scored only 29 runs but was a hero with the ball as he picked up seven wickets in the three-match series, which also includes a four-wicket haul in the final match, while Chameera too was among the wickets as he scalped four wickets in 3 games.