Nuwan Thushara of RCB celebrates (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

Sri Lanka pacer Nuwan Thushara is set to miss the upcoming Indian Premier League after being denied a No Objection Certificate by Sri Lanka Cricket, following the introduction of a strict new fitness policy. As part of the revised guidelines, the board has made it compulsory for players to meet newly established physical performance benchmarks before receiving clearance to feature in overseas franchise leagues, including the IPL and the PSL. Thushara’s participation hinged on clearing these fitness tests, but reports suggest he fell short of the required standards. According to Newswire Sri Lanka, the board’s decision to withhold the NOC could result in the pacer losing his contract with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which is believed to be worth around INR 1.6 crore. The development adds to a challenging period for Thushara. After playing a key role in Sri Lanka’s 2025 Asia Cup campaign, he was later sidelined ahead of the T20 World Cup, even as the team dealt with multiple injuries in the pace department. His absence from selection raised concerns about his standing within the national setup. While Thushara is reportedly not dealing with any injury and remains fit to bowl, questions over his overall fitness levels appear to have influenced the selectors’ decision under the new policy framework. The board has taken a firm stance, granting NOCs only to players who meet the prescribed fitness criteria. Several Sri Lankan players, including Dushmantha Chameera, Dasun Shanaka, Pathum Nissanka, and Kamindu Mendis, have cleared the benchmarks and secured approval to participate in the IPL. In contrast, Kusal Janith Perera has been allowed to feature in the PSL without undergoing the fitness tests, with the board clarifying that he is not currently in contention for national selection. At RCB, Thushara had a realistic chance of breaking into the playing XI. With lead overseas pacer Josh Hazlewood ruled out at the start of the season and Yash Dayal also unavailable, the franchise was left with limited options. Alongside New Zealand seamer Jacob Duffy, Thushara was among the frontrunners, especially given his prior IPL experience. He was part of RCB in 2025, where he featured in one match and returned figures of 1 for 26 from four overs. The previous season, he represented Mumbai Indians, claiming eight wickets at an average of 32.12.

Yash Dayal (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been dealt a massive blow ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 as the franchise confirmed that the fast bowler Yash Dayal will miss the entire tournament due to personal reasons. Yash Dayal was not seen in the RCB’s training sessions and also in the poster of RCB which sparked rumours of his absence from IPL 2026. Now RCB’s director of cricket, Mo Bobat, has cleared all the doubts over his absence. “So, just to confirm that Yash will not be joining up with the squad. As you know, he is going through a personal situation currently, and just to clarify, we’ve been very supportive of Yash to date and that’s reflected in the fact that we retained him when we had the opportunity to either retain or release players. We wanted to retain him, and he remains under contract and will continue in the short term to remain under contract,” Bobat told the media during a press conference on Tuesday. “We are communicating with him regularly. I spoke to him earlier today as well, but it has been decided that it is not in his best interest or the franchise’s best interest for him to join up with us at this point. He retains our support, and he remains under contract, and we’ll continue to speak to him as he goes through his personal situation,” he added.Earlier, TimesofIndia.com had reached out to multiple RCB officials for an update on Dayal, but they didn’t respond. It has been learnt that the BCCI Centre of Excellence contacted the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) last September to check on the bowler, but the officials could not establish contact with him.“The case was going on against him, so he wasn’t considered for selection. I remember there was a call from CoE checking on him in September, but we weren’t able to establish any contact with Yash Dayal. He has even changed his number. Even his childhood coach doesn’t know his whereabouts,” a UPCA official tells TimesofIndia.com.

Yash Dayal for RCB in IPL

Yash Dayal has played two seasons (2024, 2025) with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), he has taken 28 wickets in 29 matches. He was a key figure in RCB’s bowling attack, notably helping the team reach the playoffs in 2024 and securing their first-ever IPL title in 2025. Dayal was the joint-highest wicket-taker for RCB in 2024 with 15 wickets. He has built a reputation as death over baller after conceding 5 sixes for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023, RCB backed him and made him one of the dependable for RCB. Dayal, recently tied the knot with social media influencer Shweta Pundir in a primate ceremony, has been at the centre of major controversies of late. He was denied anticipatory bail a few months ago after he was involved in a case where he allegedly raped a minor. The controversy started in July 2025 when a lawsuit was brought against him for allegedly exploiting a woman under the guise of marriage. Later, a new case under the POSCO Act surfaced in Jaipur.

AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

NEW DELHI: As the cricket world gears up for IPL 2026, one of the tournament’s most iconic “bromances” is back in the spotlight. AB de Villiers, the legendary South African batter and former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stalwart, has made a candid admission regarding his first impression of former captain Virat Kohli.While the duo eventually became the most feared batting pair in T20 history, De Villiers revealed that it wasn’t exactly “friendship at first sight”. Speaking about their early encounters on Mbangwa Media YouTube channel, the man known as Mr. 360 confessed that Kohli’s initial demeanour rubbed him the wrong way.“I didn’t initially like him a lot, to be honest. He was a bit cocky, you know, and I’ve told him that before. I’ve said it in many interviews. We sort of laugh at that now,” De Villiers remarked.

However, the Proteas legend was quick to clarify that this perceived arrogance was actually a mirror image of his own personality. “Why I say cocky is because I probably saw a similar kind of thing that I have in him; it’s that competitive drive,” he added. “It’s that thing that you’re born with, that I don’t like losing, nothing is going to change that. So I probably saw that in Virat initially when I met him.”The ice began to melt as the two spent more time together on the international circuit. De Villiers noted that beneath the aggressive exterior was a cricketer driven by a profound sense of duty to his team.“Then in the second or third meeting, getting to hear his voice and hear him speak, I’m like, oh okay, he’s also just human, you know, just a nice guy who’s got a deep drive of wanting to perform and win games of cricket for his country,” he added.The foundation of their legendary RCB partnership was actually laid during a tense Test match at the Wanderers after RCB picked Kohli. Despite being in the heat of an international battle, Kohli reached out to his future teammate.“And I remember in that tunnel, he came up to me, he’s like, ‘I’m glad you’re on our team.’ And we sort of vibed, like we’re going to be good friends. In the middle of a Test match, we would hardly ever speak to each other, and he just went like, ‘Yes, I’m so glad we got you.’ I’m like, okay, this guy actually likes me, we can maybe be mates,” De Villiers recalled