Quetta Gladiators suffer a huge blow as Wanindu Hasaranga set to miss PSL 2023

image-ledoo8w4Wanindu Hasaranga [Source: Twitter]

In a massive setback for Quetta Gladiators, their premier overseas draft pick Wanindu Hasaranga will miss the entire PSL 2023 following Sri Lanka Cricket's denial to grant him NOC to participate in the tournament. 

Notably, Hasaranga, who the Gladiators drafted in the platinum category, is currently playing First-Class cricket in Sri Lanka and won't travel to Pakistan due to the aforementioned reason. He was supposed to join the Gladiators' camp on Monday. 

Meanwhile, Quetta Gladiators are searching for a replacement player, which they will name soon. 

Before Hasaranga, Kusal Mendis, who Lahore Qalandars drafted, was also sidelined from the tournament for the same reason.

After that, the Qalandars added West Indies keeper-batter Shai Hope to their squad as the replacement player for the Lankan opener. 

On the contrary, swashbuckling batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa got the NOC and currently represents Peshawar Zalmi in the tournament. 

Meanwhile, Quetta Gladiators continued their underwhelming run in the tournament, losing to Peshawar Zalmi in their third group-stage fixture on Monday. 

Batting first, the Gladiators posted a decent 154 on the board and had the Zalmi on the mat, reducing them to 67 for four at one stage. However, a clinical partnership between Rovman Powell and Jimmy Neesham seized the day for Babar Azam and co. 

The Gladiators will take on Lahore Qalandars in their fourth group-stage game in Karachi tonight.