NewKerala.com

IPL 2026: CSK Sign Kuldip Yadav, RCB Rope in Richard Gleeson as Replacements

Chennai Super Kings have signed domestic pacer Kuldip Yadav for Rs 30 lakh as a replacement for the injured Khaleel Ahmed. Royal Challengers Bengaluru have brought in English fast bowler Richard Gleeson for Rs 1.6 crore to replace Nuwan Thushara. Thushara withdrew his lawsuit against Sri Lanka Cricket after being denied a no-objection certificate to participate in IPL 2026. Both players have been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to injuries.

Key Points: IPL 2026: CSK, RCB Announce Player Replacements for Injured Pacers

  • CSK sign Kuldip Yadav for Rs 30 lakh as replacement for injured Khaleel Ahmed
  • RCB bring in Richard Gleeson for Rs 1.6 crore to replace Nuwan Thushara
  • Thushara withdrew lawsuit against Sri Lanka Cricket after being denied NOC for IPL
  • Gleeson has played six T20Is for England and previously featured for CSK and MI
2 min read

IPL 2026: CSK replace injured Khaleel Ahmed with Kuldip Yadav; RCB bring in Richard Gleeson for Nuwan Thushara

CSK replace injured Khaleel Ahmed with Kuldip Yadav for Rs 30 lakh; RCB sign Richard Gleeson for Rs 1.6 crore to cover for Nuwan Thushara in IPL 2026.

"Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have picked player replacements for Khaleel Ahmed and Nuwan Thushara who have been ruled out of the remainder of the season due to injuries. - IPL Statement"

Chennai, May 15

Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have picked player replacements for pacers Khaleel Ahmed and Nuwan Thushara, respectively, who have been ruled out of the remainder of the Indian Premier League 2026 season due to injuries, said an IPL statement on Friday.

Ahead of the tournament's final phase, CSK have signed domestic medium-pacer Kuldip Yadav for Rs 30 lakh as a replacement for Khaleel. Khaleel had sustained an injury to his right quadricep during his side's match against KKR at the Chepauk Stadium on April 16.

Meanwhile, RCB have boosted their pace attack with the addition of English fast bowler Richard Gleeson for Rs 1.6 crore, as a replacement for Nuwan Thushara.

Thushara's replacement development comes after he withdrew the lawsuit he had filed against Sri Lanka Cricket after being denied a no-objection certificate (NOC) to participate in IPL 2026. The pacer informed the Colombo District Court that he decided to drop the case as a major portion of the tournament had already passed.

According to an ESPNcricinfo report, Thushara also submitted a written apology to SLC, indicating a willingness to settle the dispute. Earlier, he had challenged the board's decision, claiming the stricter fitness-based NOC rules were unfair and threatened his livelihood. He had even expressed intentions to retire from international cricket during the legal battle, though his current stance remains unclear.

"Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have picked player replacements for Khaleel Ahmed and Nuwan Thushara who have been ruled out of the remainder of the season due to injuries. Kuldip Yadav will join CSK for INR 30 lakh, whereas Richard Gleeson will join RCB for a fee of INR 1.6 crore," said IPL in a statement.

Kuldip Yadav first made his appearance in the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals back in 2021. Although he has limited experience in the tournament, featuring in only three matches for the franchise, CSK will be hoping to make the most of his abilities if he gets to feature in the playing 11.

Gleeson, on the other hand, has featured in six T20Is for his country and has nine wickets to his name. He represented CSK and the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2024 and 2025 editions of the league, featuring in two games for CSK and one for MI, respectively.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
I have mixed feelings about this. RCB spending 1.6 crore on Richard Gleeson seems a bit overpriced. He played only 2 games for CSK last year and 1 for MI. But then again, RCB management might see something we don't. At least they're addressing the pace issue after Thushara's messy exit.
V
Vikram M
Thushara's legal battle with SLC is a sad example of how politics affects cricket in Sri Lanka. Poor guy had to apologize even after being denied NOC unfairly. Hope he gets his career back on track. Meanwhile, IPL franchises will just move on to next foreign replacement. šŸ˜ž
R
Rohit P
Honestly, I'm more interested in how CSK will use Kuldip Yadav at Chepauk. The pitch there turns square in second half, so a domestic medium-pacer might not even get a game. Dhoni's planning something for sure. Also, glad RCB didn't go for another overseas spinner like they usually do.
J
James A
As an RCB fan living in Bangalore, I'm cautiously optimistic about Gleeson. His T20I record is decent - 9 wickets in 6 matches. But this late in the season, replacing a pacer with another pacer might not fix their death bowling issues. They needed a Trent Boult type experienced campaigner. šŸ
K
Kavya N
The way Thushara handled this whole NOC issue was unprofessional. Filing a lawsuit, then withdrawing it, apologizing... Meanwhile IPL teams just use these players as pawns. I feel for domestic uncapped players like Kuldip Yadav who actually want to perform and

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50