Ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026, Sri Lankan fast bowler Nuwan Thushara has failed a mandatory fitness test, resulting in Sri Lanka Cricket denying him the No Objection Certificate (NOC) required to participate in the tournament. Following the development, he will not be available for RCB, dealing a major blow to the defending champions.
According to ESPNcricinfo, RCB will miss thye services of Thushara at least for the IPL 2026 opening game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Saturday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Moreover, according to the report, he might also miss RCB's second game against Chennai Super Kings on April 5. Notably, RCB are also reeling from the absence of Yash Dayal and Josh Hazlewood. Yash Dayal will not be available for the entire season. Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood has not been cleared by Cricket Australia.