Ottniel Baartman
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Here are the latest IPL updates on Ottniel Baartman, Dasun Shanaka & more
The 2026 IPL cricket season is almost upon us. The first quarter of 2026 has been exciting for sports fans. An NFL Super Bowl champion was crowned, Team USA won gold medals in men’s and women’s hockey at the Winter Olympics, and India became the first nation to win three T20 World Cups.
As far as the IPL is concerned, the news cycle is picking up with the opening match between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad within striking distance.
With the latest news and rumors cycle, cricket fans have received updates on Akash Deep, Dasun Shanaka, and Ottniel Baartman.
Akash Deep Will Not Play in IPL This Year
The Kolkata Knight Riders will need some bowling reinforcements this year. Cricbuzz reports that Akash Deep has been ruled out of playing for KKR for the entire 2026 IPL season.
According to the outlet, there has been communication between the player and the club, even though Deep has not appeared at any team camp practices.
“Akash has not reported for the Kolkata Knight Riders camp, which has been underway in Kolkata since March 18,” Cricbuzz wrote. “It is understood that he has been undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, although the exact nature of his injury remains unclear.”
“It is believed that there has been some communication regarding the player from the CoE managers to the franchise.”
In six IPL matches last year, Akash collected three wickets on 114 balls. He finished the year with an Economy of 12.05, with 2/55 being his best bowling figure.
Chennai Super Kings Circling Ottniel Baartman For IPL 2026
Recently, the Chennai Super Kings have lost the services of Nathan Ellis for this season due to a hamstring strain. Their latest candidate to replace him is sure to be an interesting rumor for CSK fans.
Ottniel Baartman is rumored to be the bowler they are looking at. In fact, one analyst believes that CSK will sign Baartman. However, neither the team nor the player has confirmed this.
In the 2025-26 SA20 tournament, Baartman only played in nine matches. In those matches, he was on fire, taking 20 wickets. Baartman put together an impressive 5/16 figure to go along with a 9.13 Economy. Additionally, he recorded a four-wicket haul in another match during the tournament.
Jake Fraser-McGurk & Dasun Shanaka: IPL Options?
Finally, there are two more players rumored to be leaving the PSL or confirmed to be leaving. First of those two is Jake Fraser-McGurk. According to the X account, T20 Tracker, he has opted out of his PKR 3.36 crore deal due to “personal reasons.”
Additionally, T20 Tracker reports that Dasun Shanaka has also pulled out of the PSL and his contract with LQ.
Fraser-McGurk played in the IPL during the 2024 & 2025 seasons. In 2025, his performance dipped from the previous year. In six matches, he recorded 55 runs, which included seven fours and two sixes. However, his 2024 knock should give any interested IPL club hope. He put together a 330-run season in nine matches, with his highest score being 84 runs.
Following his 2025 season, Fraser-McGurk was released by the Delhi Capitals and went unsold in the 2026 IPL auction.
Shanaka is a great all-rounder, although he only has three IPL matches on his resume. However, he performed well in the recent 2026 T20 World Cup.
His last performance in that tournament was against Pakistan. Shanaka knocked 76 runs off 31 deliveries. Additionally, he bowled four overs, finishing with a 2/42 figure in a 212/8 to 207/6 loss.
One way or another, it’s shaping up to be an interesting season of IPL.