Sri Lanka fast bowler Nuwan Thushara has withdrawn his legal petition against Sri Lanka Cricket, bringing a close to a dispute that dominated the opening weeks of IPL 2026. The case was heard in the Colombo District Court on April 23, 2026. Legal counsel Thushara, President’s Counsel G.G. Arulpragasam, told the judge that his client would like to drop the application.
The court granted the request and dismissed the petition. Thushara had also sent a written apology to Sri Lanka Cricket ahead of the hearing, signalling his intention to resolve the matter before it reached court again.
How the Dispute Began: The NOC Denial
The fight was because Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) failed to grant Thushara a No Objection Certificate (NOC) (the document used by cricketers in Sri Lanka to participate in international leagues), and as a result, he was unable to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which was to be held in 2026.
The board cited his failure to meet its fitness standards as the basis for the refusal. Without the NOC, Thushara was barred from joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the franchise that had retained him for the season at Rs 1.60 crore.
As a result, Thushara applied to the Colombo District Court seeking a provisional injunction against SLC for its refusal to issue the NOC. In his application to the court, he claimed that he had formally notified SLC on March 31, 2006, that his contract was over, and expressed his desire to be excluded from any further considerations for national selection. Thus, he established his intention to leave international cricket and concentrate entirely on playing for an international franchise. SLC opposed the application, and the matter went through several hearings before the court ruled in favour of SLC.
Why the Case Was Dropped
The withdrawal of the case coincided with the practical realities of the IPL, which had already completed a large part of its 2026 schedule by April 23, 2026. Thushara’s counsel told the court that several IPL matches had already been concluded and the petitioner no longer wished to proceed with the application. Pursuing the case further would not have secured Thushara any meaningful playing time even if the court had ruled in his favour.
RCB had not named a replacement for Thushara across the weeks the dispute ran, leaving the franchise to manage without one of their retained overseas bowlers. Jacob Duffy, the New Zealand pacer, had filled in during the early phase of the season while Josh Hazlewood was also unavailable.
Thushara’s International Career and What Comes Next
Thushara made his international debut in 2022 and has played 30 T20Is for Sri Lanka, taking 36 wickets across those appearances. His IPL exposure came first with the Mumbai Indians in 2024, where he took eight wickets across seven matches, then with RCB in 2025, though he featured in only one match that season.
His original court petition stated he wished to retire from international cricket. Whether that position has changed following the withdrawal and apology remains unclear. ESPNcricinfo understands it is unclear at this point if that has changed or was the same. What is confirmed is that, under SLC’s current fitness protocols, Thushara would not be eligible for national selection until he meets the minimum fitness requirements, regardless of any change in his stated retirement intention.
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