Court Pushes Nuwan Thushara’s NOC Fight as SLC Cites New Fitness Rule

Overview

• The Colombo District Court, which weighed initial submissions Thursday, ordered Sri Lanka Cricket to file formal objections by April 23 in Nuwan Thushara’s petition.
• Sri Lanka Cricket denied the required No Objection Certificate, a board clearance needed to play overseas, under a new policy that ties NOCs to fitness benchmarks.
• Thushara told the court his SLC contract ended March 31 and that he withdrew from national selection, arguing the refusal blocks his livelihood after prior NOCs for earlier IPL stints.
• The board said it will strongly oppose the petition and argued that players should not bypass the new fitness system through court orders.
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained Thushara for about Rs 1.6 crore, yet his IPL 2026 spot now hangs on whether the court grants relief or the board maintains the NOC denial.