At a glance
- RCB replace Nuwan Thushara with Richard Gleeson
- CSK sign Kuldip Yadav after Khaleel Ahmed injury
- Thushara denied NOC by Sri Lanka Cricket
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have moved swiftly to fill the void left by Nuwan Thushara, signing experienced England seamer Richard Gleeson ahead of the IPL 2026 season.
The franchise confirmed Gleeson as a replacement for the Sri Lankan fast bowler after Thushara was unable to join the squad due to a No-Objection Certificate denial from Sri Lanka Cricket.
RCB sign Richard Gleeson in IPL return
Gleeson, 38, arrives with previous IPL experience after stints with both Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. The right-arm quick featured twice for CSK during the 2024 campaign before making a solitary appearance for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025.
RCB secured the England international for INR 1.6 crore, matching the amount they had originally spent on Thushara ahead of the previous season.
Although Gleeson has played only nine T20 Internationals for England, he brings valuable experience and control in the shortest format, qualities RCB will hope strengthen their pace attack as they defend their IPL crown.
Read more: Deepti Sharma and Punam Raut’s record 320-run stand rewrote women’s ODI history
Nuwan Thushara blocked from joining IPL 2026
RCB retained Thushara after he played a limited role in their title-winning 2025 campaign.However, Sri Lanka Cricket refused to grant him an NOC after determining that the pacer had not met the board’s required fitness standards.
The situation escalated when Thushara filed legal action against Sri Lanka Cricket before later withdrawing the case and issuing a written apology to the board.
In his original court petition, Thushara had also reportedly expressed a desire to retire from international cricket, though there has been no confirmation on whether he still intends to follow through with that decision.
CSK replace injured Khaleel Ahmed with Kuldip Yadav
Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings have replaced Khaleel Ahmed with Indian fast bowler Kuldip Yadav after injury ended Khaleel’s IPL 2026 campaign.
Khaleel suffered a right quadricep injury during CSK’s clash against Kolkata Knight Riders after featuring in five matches this season. The left-arm seamer claimed two wickets while maintaining an economy rate of 8.67 before being sidelined.
Kuldip joins CSK for INR 30 lakh after previous IPL spells with Rajasthan Royals. The right-arm pacer has made three IPL appearances across the 2021 and 2023 seasons and now gets another opportunity to establish himself on the league stage.
Also read: “He is still around” – Sunil Gavaskar hails Virat Kohli for his knock against KKR in IPL 2026
IPL teams continue reshaping squads before key fixtures
Both RCB and CSK have been forced into mid-season adjustments as franchises continue reshaping their squads amid injuries and availability concerns.
For RCB, Gleeson’s arrival offers an experienced short-term solution after the unexpected loss of Thushara, while CSK will hope Kuldip can provide depth to their pace resources during the closing stages of the tournament.
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