According to reports, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are seriously interested in acquiring Sonal Dinusha ahead of the IPL 2027 auction. The claims suggest RCB could trigger a bidding war worth 14 crore for the Sri Lankan all-rounder, with Virat Kohli, whose influence on RCB’s recruitment is well documented, reportedly impressed by his temperament.
No official statement from RCB or the player has confirmed any of this. The source is social media, not a franchise briefing.
The interest, if real, is built entirely on what Dinusha did to India across two Tests in August 2026. He scored 420 runs at an average of 140. Three centuries and one eighty-four.
His first Test hundred came at Galle, off 168 balls. He followed it with 84 in the second innings.
At Colombo, he scored 103 from 162 balls as Sri Lanka tried to avoid the follow-on. Then, after India enforced it, he batted through the final day for an unbeaten 133 off 264 balls to save the match.
Sri Lanka lost the series 1-0. Without Dinusha, it would have been 2-0.
The method was specific. He scored 173 of his 420 runs through sweep shots, breaking Joe Root’s record of 160 sweep runs in a single Test series.
His coach Ashan Priyanjan revealed the preparation behind it.
“He said ‘Sir, India has all varieties of spinners. Need to prepare well.'”
Ashan Priyanjan, Dinusha’s coach, after the series
Dinusha had been drilling sweeps for two hours daily at Colombo Cricket Club since he was 11. Against Jadeja, Kuldeep, Suthar, and Saransh Jain, the preparation paid off completely.
He became only the third batter in history to score 80 or more in each of his first three Test innings against India. The other two: Everton Weekes and Zaheer Abbas.
He also became the third Sri Lankan to score twin centuries in a single Test.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir, not known for praising opposition players publicly, made a pointed exception after the series.
“Test cricket needs character, patience and mental toughness that’s shown by our boys! Special shoutout to Sonal Dinusha for his exceptional performance!”
Gautam Gambhir, Instagram, August 28, 2026
Gambhir choosing to single out Dinusha by name tells you what the Indian camp saw across five days in Colombo. A 25-year-old batting at No. 7, running out of partners, refusing to give in.
View this post on Instagram
The T20 Problem
None of what Dinusha did in Tests translates automatically to IPL value. His T20 record across 21 matches reads 174 runs at an average of 19.33.
His Test batting is defined by patience, long partnerships with the tail, and building innings over 150 to 250 balls. The IPL rewards the opposite: strike rotation under pressure, boundary hitting from ball one, finishing games in the last four overs.
Dinusha has shown none of that at any level. A franchise paying 14 crore for him would be buying a projection, not a proven T20 product.
View on Threads
Insider Read
RCB, who traded Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals earlier this year to reshape their overseas balance, already have a Sri Lankan on their books. Nuwan Thushara, the fast bowler, is one of the players the franchise may release ahead of the IPL 2027 mini-auction.
Replacing one Sri Lankan with another is not how overseas slots work at this level. Franchises allocate four spots across batting, bowling, and all-round roles, and each slot competes against the best T20 players from every cricket-playing nation.
Dinusha would not be competing against other Sri Lankans for a spot. He would be up against T20 specialists from Australia, England, South Africa, and the Caribbean with years of franchise cricket behind them.
His first-class average of 48.44 across 70 matches is impressive. His T20 numbers are not. Until that changes, 14 crore remains a social media number, not a real one.
Angelo Mathews, who watched Dinusha’s Colombo heroics from the other end of Sri Lankan cricket, offered the simplest verdict.
“Take a bow Sonal Dinusha. Such maturity shown! Pure class.”
Angelo Mathews, social media, after Colombo Test Day 4
The maturity is real. The Test record is already exceptional. What remains missing is any evidence that it works in 20 overs.
Also Read:
