Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have moved to strengthen their bowling options for the upcoming IPL 2026 season by bringing in England pace bowler Richard Gleeson as cover for Sri Lanka quick Nuwan Thushara. Thushara’s participation has been blocked after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) refused to issue a No-Objection Certificate (NOC), leaving the franchise to find an immediate replacement.
Key takeaways
- RCB have signed England seamer Richard Gleeson as Thushara’s replacement for IPL 2026.
- Thushara missed the season after SLC declined to grant him an NOC.
- Gleeson, aged 38, has been bought for INR 1.6 crore and has IPL experience with CSK and MI.
- Thushara was also valued at INR 1.6 crore in 2025 and was part of RCB’s title-winning campaign.
- CSK have named Kuldip Yadav as an injury replacement for Khaleel Ahmed, with Khaleel ruled out after a quadricep problem.
RCB replace Thushara with Richard Gleeson
Richard Gleeson, who is 38 years old, has featured in nine T20 Internationals for England. In the IPL, he has previously been part of two franchises—Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI). For CSK, he appeared in two matches during the 2024 season, while his only outing for MI came in 2025.
RCB have secured Gleeson’s services for INR 1.6 crore. The move follows Thushara’s inability to travel and join the squad for IPL 2026 after SLC refused to provide the required clearance.
Why Thushara couldn’t join & the legal fallout
RCB had originally signed Nuwan Thushara for INR 1.6 crore ahead of IPL 2025, and he made one appearance during the franchise’s title-winning run. Ahead of the 2026 season, RCB retained him, but the former Sri Lanka player was denied an NOC by SLC.
The refusal was made on the basis that Thushara had not met SLC’s fitness benchmarks. After the dispute surfaced, Thushara first approached the courts by filing a lawsuit against SLC. However, he later withdrew the case and also submitted a written apology to the board.
In his initial legal petition, Thushara had also indicated an intention to retire from international cricket, though it remains unclear whether he plans to follow through on that point.
CSK make an injury replacement: Kuldip Yadav for Khaleel Ahmed
In a separate squad update, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have announced Indian fast bowler Kuldip Yadav as an injury substitute for Khaleel Ahmed. Khaleel played five matches in the season and collected two wickets, maintaining an economy rate of 8.67, before an injury halted his campaign.
The right-arm fast bowler suffered a right quadricep injury in a match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and that setback ended his participation for the remainder of the tournament.
Kuldip has prior IPL experience with Rajasthan Royals (RR), having played three matches across the 2021 and 2023 seasons. CSK have now roped him in for INR 30 lakh as they prepare for the next phase of the competition.
