Nuwan Thushara Moves Court Against Sri Lanka Cricket Over IPL 2026 NOC Denial

Sri Lanka Cricket is having problems with its players because it refused to give them permission (NOC) to play in IPL 2026. Many players failed a new fitness test, so they were not allowed to go. One of the players affected is Nuwan Thushara. Now, the pacer has taken the SLC to court so that he can get the NOC and join Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad. The hearing is set for April 9 at the Colombo District Court. Thushara has named SLC President Shammi Silva, Secretary Bandula Dissanayake, Treasurer Sujeewa Godaliyadda and CEO Ashley de Silva as defendants as per a Newswire report.

After a very poor ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where Sri Lanka national cricket team didn’t win any matches in the Super 8 stage, Sri Lanka Cricket decided to take strict action. One big step was making the fitness tests tougher for players. T20I captain Dasun Shanaka blamed players’ poor fitness for the World Cup exit. Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana were ruled out of the T20 WC midway through with injuries. Some players also struggled to maintain their fitness level.

Nuwan Thushara Moves Court Over IPL 2026 NOC Denial

After that, Sri Lanka Cricket made it compulsory for players to pass the new fitness test if they want to play in T20 leagues like the Indian Premier League and the Pakistan Super League. However, some players failed, including Nuwan Thushara and Matheesha Pathirana. The test includes a time-bound two-km sprint and a skinfold test to check body fat levels. It also requires the centrally contracted players to undergo a specialised training program to get back to the required fitness level. In his plea, Nuwan Thushara told the court that his contract with the SLC ended on March 31, 2026. He had already informed the Sri Lanka cricket board not to consider him, as he would retire from international cricket at the age of 31 after playing 30 T20Is for Sri Lanka, bagging 36 wickets.

Nuwan Thushara said that Sri Lanka Cricket had already told him he wouldn’t be picked for the national team. So, he feels it is unfair to deny him the NOC for IPL 2026.

He also said his fitness is the same as before, and it never stopped him from playing for Sri Lanka national cricket team. Even though RCB have waited patiently, if Thushara fails to join the squad by mid-April, he fears the IPL champions would replace him and that he would lose significant income. RCB retained Thushara for INR 1.6 crore. Nuwan Thushara is seeking an injunction as he believes he is entitled to the NOC to play in IPL 2026 and other franchise leagues.

Nuwan Thushara is not new to challenging such decisions. Last year, Tabraiz Shamsi took legal action against Cricket South Africa after he was given only a partial NOC despite not having a central contract. Shamsi opted to play in the rival ILT20 in the UAE and the Big Bash League, opting out of SA20, where he was picked by MI Cape Town. But CSA allowed him an NOC, forcing him to leave the ILT20 midway for SA20. Shamsi won the case against CSA at the Gauteng High Court.

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IPL 2026, Match 8: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians Predicted Playing XIs Delhi Capitals will face Mumbai Indians in the 8th match of IPL 2026 on April 4th at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi starting at 3:30 PM.

by Dwijesh April 2, 2026