Sri Lanka, March 27 -- RCB face a major setback ahead of IPL 2026 opener as Nuwan Thushara fails Sri Lanka Cricket's fitness test and is denied NOC. With Yash Dayal out and Josh Hazlewood uncertain, Jacob Duffy may step in. Pathirana and Hasaranga also await fitness clearance.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru suffered a major blow on the eve of their opening IPL 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The defending champions have already notified that Yash Dayal has opted out of the season, while Cricket Australia hasn't yet cleared Josh Hazlewood to play a part. On top of that, Nuwan Thushara has also been denied an NOC by Sri Lanka Cricket for failing the fitness test.

Ashley de Silva, the chief executive of S...