Sri Lanka pacer Nuwan Thushara may miss the IPL after Sri Lanka Cricket denied him a No Objection Certificate under its new fitness policy, reports said on Thursday. According to Newswire Sri Lanka, he failed to meet required benchmarks, risking a ₹1.6 crore RCB deal. SLC has made fitness clearance mandatory for overseas leagues.

New Delhi: Sri Lanka fast bowler Nuwan Thushara is likely to miss out on the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) refused to give him a No Objection Certificate (NOC), following the implementation of a strict new fitness policy, a news report claimed on Thursday.

Under the revised regulations, SLC has made it mandatory for players to meet newly introduced physical performance benchmarks before being cleared to participate in overseas franchise leagues, including the IPL and Pakistan Super League (PSL). Thushara’s participation depended on successfully passing these assessments, but he reportedly did not meet the required standards.

According to Newswire Sri Lanka, SLC withheld the NOC, a decision that could cost the pacer his contract with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, reportedly valued at around INR 1.6 crore.

The setback marks another difficult chapter for Thushara, who featured prominently during Sri Lanka’s 2025 Asia Cup campaign but subsequently fell out of favour ahead of the T20 World Cup. Despite a spate of injuries among fast bowlers, he was overlooked for selection, raising questions about his position in the national setup.