Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has informed the Colombo District Court that it intends to file objections to a petition submitted by cricketer Nuwan Thushara over the non-issuance of a “No Objection Certificate” (NOC) to participate in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL).
The petition requests an interim order requiring SLC to issue a “No Objection Certificate” enabling him to participate in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) and other international league tournaments.
The matter was heard today (09), with senior counsel G.G. Arulpragasam and attorney Kanchana Peiris representing the petitioner. They requested the Colombo District Court to set a date to consider the interim relief sought in the petition.
Representing SLC and its Chairman Shammi Silva, President’s Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma presented arguments opposing the petition and requested a date to file formal objections. Subsequently, the Colombo District Court scheduled the hearing for filing objections on 23 April.
SLC Chairman Shammi Silva, SLC Secretary Bandula Dissanayake, Treasurer of SLC Sujeewa Godaliyadda and the Chief Executive Officer of SLC Ashley de Silva have been named as respondents in the petition.
According to the petition, the petitioner is a member of the Sri Lanka national cricket team and has a contractual agreement with SLC, which was set to expire on March 31, 2026. He states that he has previously participated in international league tournaments without any conflict with international cricket commitments.
The petitioner also highlights that he represented the Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchise during the 2024 and 2025 IPL seasons and received a “No Objection Certificate” from SLC to participate in those years. He claims that without such a certificate, he would not be allowed to participate in the 2026 tournaments.
However, the petitioner alleges that despite his request for a NOC to participate in the 2026 tournaments, SLC rejected the request. The rejection was reportedly based on SLC’s assertion that he had failed to pass the required physical fitness assessment at that time. The petitioner disputes this, noting that his contract with SLC had expired on March 31, 2026 and asserting that there is no legal basis for SLC to withhold the certificate.
Accordingly, the petitioner has requested the Colombo District Court to issue an interim order compelling SLC to issue a “No Objection Certificate” enabling him to participate in the 2026 IPL and other international premier league tournaments.
