India, March 26 -- Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been dealt a major setback ahead of the new IPL season as pacer Nuwan Thushara is set to miss the entire tournament. The franchise, already unsure about Josh Hazlewood's participation, now faces another injury blow with Thushara joining the list of players sidelined. The Sri Lankan pacer was bought by RCB for INR 1.6 crore last season. While Hazlewood is expected to recover in time for the second phase of the league, Thushara has not received fitness clearance from Sri Lanka Cricket, ruling him out for now. This adds to RCB's pre-season worries as they look to navigate the opening phase without two of their key fast-bowling options.

According to a report on Sri Lanka...