SRI LANKAN FAST BOWLER Nuwan Thushara has stepped back from his legal confrontation with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) over the denial of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) required to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
The conflict began when Thushara was denied an NOC by SLC, preventing him from playing in IPL 2026. The pacer had been associated with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the season. SLC cited failure to meet newly introduced fitness standards as the primary reason for rejection. In response, Thushara filed a petition in the Colombo District Court and sought a directive compelling SLC to issue the NOC. He argued that the denial was unfair and impacted his professional livelihood.
SLC informed the court it would file objections to Thushara’s petition and the court accepted SLC’s position and scheduled the next hearing for April 23, 2026. The case raised broader concerns about contractual rights vs national board authority and the situation also effectively ruled Thushara out of IPL 2026 participation due to time constraints.
In a major shift, Thushara has now issued a formal apology to SLC officials, expressed regret for any inconvenience caused and indicated willingness to withdraw legal action and resolve the issue amicably. In his communication to SLC, he clarified his actions were driven by a desire for “fairness and justice” and he never intended to create conflict or bring disrepute to the board. This effectively signals a de-escalation of the dispute, though formal withdrawal of the case is still pending.
Sri Lanka Cricket has maintained a firm stance saying the denial of the NOC was based on objective fitness criteria. The board has recently implemented stricter fitness benchmarks for player eligibility and SLC has defended its decision as part of a broader effort to raise national team standards.
Thushara was expected to feature in IPL 2026 but is now unlikely to participate and his absence is a setback for RCB’s pace options.
