A court move comes from Nuwan Thushara, RCB’s Sri Lankan bowler, over missing IPL 2026 due to a withheld clearance. Denied participation because of unmet fitness benchmarks, he didn’t receive approval from Sri Lanka Cricket. Now legal steps are underway so the board must permit his tournament entry. His stance grows firmer – he’s told SLC he won’t extend his national deal either. Paperwork filed, intentions clear, the path ahead shifts under new pressure.
Thushara listed several top officials of Sri Lanka Cricket as defendants in his legal complaint, according to NewsWire, a local media source. Named were president Shammi Silva, secretary Bandula Dissanayake, treasurer Sujeewa Godaliyadda, and chief executive Ashley de Silva. The report came out of Colombo earlier this week. Each individual now stands formally included in the case through official filings. Details emerged after documents were reviewed by independent observers. No public statement has followed from any of those mentioned so far.
Set for April 9, a hearing will come before the Colombo District Court this Thursday. Hearing date lands on April 9, as court takes matter up midweek.
Thushara says his deal with SLC was set to end March 31, as stated in the report. He told the board he did not want to extend it, choosing instead to step back from playing internationally. Though the timing surprised some, his decision came after weeks of private talks. The move marks a shift, one shaped by personal goals more than external pressure. Not every player stays forever; this path feels right for him now.
It is said Thushara claims his physical condition hasn’t changed much from earlier years – years when he still received an NOC without issue.
Because of these circumstances, Thushara sees the refusal of an NOC as unfair – so legal steps followed. Though told otherwise, she stands by her stance, which led straight to filing in court.
A player from Sri Lanka joined RCB in 2025 at a price of Rs 1.6 crore, appearing in just one match while the team eventually won the IPL trophy that year. It came out during legal proceedings he told judges a missing NOC could cost him both money and future chances.
Winning right away, RCB kicked off IPL 2026 with a strong performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first match.
