Nuwan Thushara drops lawsuit against Sri Lanka Cricket in 2026

Nuwan Thushara withdrew his legal case against Sri Lanka Cricket after filing an apology last week.

Case withdrawal and apology Nuwan Thushara approached the Colombo District Court to formally withdraw his legal challenge. He cited the completion of most of the IPL season as a key factor in his decision. Additionally, Thushara had submitted a written apology to Sri Lanka Cricket a week prior, indicating his intent to drop the lawsuit. The exact details of the apology were not disclosed in the court filing. ## Original petition and fitness dispute In his initial court filing, Thushara expressed his intention to retire from international cricket. At the time, it was unclear whether this stance had changed or remained unchanged. According to Sri Lanka Cricket’s updated fitness protocols, Thushara would remain ineligible for selection until he met the required fitness benchmarks. The dispute centered on his fitness evaluation, which he argued had not differed significantly from previous years when he was cleared to play. ## Timeline of legal battle The legal impasse led Thushara to declare his retirement and file the lawsuit shortly after. He claimed that the enforcement of fitness-based clearance for his No Objection Certificate was unreasonable and jeopardized his professional opportunities. The initial court date on April 2 raised concerns due to aligning with the Easter holiday, which made a quick resolution improbable. The case was revisited on April 9, where Sri Lanka Cricket signaled plans to submit formal objections before the matter was finally dismissed on April 23. ## International career and IPL stints Thushara has participated in 30 international matches to date, all of them T20Is. He represented the Mumbai Indians in the IPL during the 2024 season before joining the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2025. His international career spanned multiple franchise engagements, including his latest club shift ahead of the current season. The timing of his legal challenge came during a transitional phase in his professional engagements.