Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) overseas pacer Nuwan Thushara has moved to court and filed a lawsuit against Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) after he was denied a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). Notably, Thushara was a part of the title-winning RCB side last season after being acquired for INR 1.6 crores and was retained for IPL 2026 too.
However, he has not been able to join the RCB squad yet for this season after failing a fitness test by SLC. Nevertheless, the pacer made a legal case on the basis that his national contract ended with SLC on March 31, 2026 and has intentions of stepping away from international cricket, thus rendering the NOC unreasonable. His argument also highlights the loss of income from missing the IPL games.
Given the current scenario, the Sri Lankan pacer can see himself getting ruled out for the entire IPL 2026 tournament. The reason is that the earliest date the case can be heard is April 9, since courts will be closed due to the upcoming Easter Weekend. Furthermore, it is unlikely that the verdict will be given after just one hearing, implying that he can miss at least two more weeks of the tournament if not more.
The timing of the legal action thus puts his availability for the entire tournament in doubt, forcing RCB to look for other options.
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With talismanic Josh Hazlewood expected to miss the first few games, it was a good opportunity for Thushara to get some matches, who was initially bought as a backup for the Aussie. However, without an NOC at his disposal, RCB can eye a replacement player.
Although they have Jacob Duffy, who is taking on Hazlewood’s role in his absence, the franchise will still need to get another overseas seamer as a cover. The likes of Josh Tongue and Ottneil Baartman can be prospective targets to fill the void.
Apart from that, they have Indian pacers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh and Rasikh Dar.
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