Colombo [Sri Lanka], April 2 (ANI): Sri Lanka fast bowler Nuwan Thushara has filed a lawsuit in the Colombo District Court against Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) after being denied a no-objection certificate (NOC) to participate in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

Thushara, who is part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad, has challenged the board's decision, arguing that his central contract with SLC ended on March 31, 2026, and therefore, the enforcement of an NOC is unreasonable and restricts his ability to earn a livelihood, as per reports from ESPNcricinfo.

The pacer has named SLC president Shammi Silva, secretary Bandula Dissanayake, treasurer Sujeewa Godaliyadda and CEO Ashley de Silva as defendants in the case. The matter is scheduled to be taken up again on April 9, following the Easter court holidays.

SLC had informed Thushara on March 24 that he would not be granted an NOC after he failed to meet the newly introduced mandatory fitness standards. The board's revised criteria include a 2 km run, 20 m sprint, 5-0-5 agility test, skinfold measurement and a counter-movement jump, with players required to achieve a minimum score to remain eligible.

However, Thushara has argued that such fitness benchmarks were not historically tied to the issuance of NOCs and pointed out that he had been granted clearances in previous seasons under similar fitness levels.

While International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations mandate that players obtain an NOC from their home board to participate in overseas leagues, the governing body leaves the criteria for granting or denying such certificates to individual boards. This has created a grey area, particularly in cases involving players who are no longer centrally contracted.

The timing of the legal proceedings is likely to keep Thushara out of the IPL for at least the next few weeks, with the tournament having commenced on March 28.

RCB are the defending champions of the IPL, and Thushara took only 1 wicket in the only match he played for RCB during the 2025 season. Acquired for Rs 1.60 crore in the 2025 auction, the Sri Lankan pacer's impact was limited to this single appearance during the team's campaign. He also missed the home T20 World Cup for his national side and was expecting to return from the injury in the IPL 2026. (ANI)