Big Blow for RCB; Another star pacer set to miss IPL 2026 - Reports
(Courtesy : BCCI)
RCB will play the IPL 2026 opener against SRH on March 28.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to play the opening game of the Indian Premier League 2026 on March 28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Rajat Patidar & Co. will have the home advantage, as the clash will take place at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
RCB won their first title last season by defeating Punjab Kings in the final. Following their success last year, the franchise has retained Rajat Patidar as the captain for IPL 2026. Moreover, they also retained many players in their squad.
Notably, RCB’s bowling unit has suffered a severe blow due to the unavailability of a few bowlers. To begin with, pacer Yash Dayal has been ruled out of the tournament due to personal reasons.
Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood is expected to miss the start of the tournament due to his hamstring and Achilles injuries. Now, RCB have suffered another blow as another star pacer is set to miss the tournament.
RCB pacer Nuwan Thushara to miss IPL 2026
According to a report by Newswire, Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Thushara will not participate in IPL 2026. He has been denied a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to participate in the tournament.
Thushara failed the fitness test conducted by SLC, which was mandatory to obtain the NOC to play in IPL 2026. SLC recently made it mandatory for players to pass newly introduced physical performance tests before getting clearance to participate in franchise leagues such as the IPL and PSL.
However, Thushara could not earn the necessary fitness points in the test. The report also added that Thushara is not injured at the moment and is capable of bowling. However, he lacks overall fitness, which prompted selectors to deny him NOC to play in IPL 2026.
Several Sri Lankan players like Dushmantha Chameera, Dasun Shanaka, and Pathum Nissanka cleared the test recently and acquired permission to play in the IPL.
Why will Nuwan Thushara not play in IPL 2026?
Nuwan Thushara did not get a No Objection Certificate from Sri Lanka Cricket to play in IPL 2026. He could not pass the fitness test conducted by the SLC.
Who will captain RCB in IPL 2026?
Rajat Patidar will captain the team in the tournament.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.