Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has raised the tension of many teams ahead of the IPL 2026 as they have cleared only Eshan Malinga to take part in the Indian league for now. Several Sri Lankan players are waiting for the clearance, which created suspense for their teams ahead of the tournament.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are still waiting for their signings’ arrival as the IPL 2026 is just days away. The tournament will get underway on March 28 with the RCB taking on the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Bengaluru.
Only Eshan Malinga gets the NOC from Sri Lanka Cricket for IPL 2026
As reported by Cricbuzz, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has allowed only Eshan Malinga to join the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for now, while three other big players—Nuwan Thushara, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Matheesha Pathirana—are still waiting for the green signal to join the IPL 2026.
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Malinga will reach Hyderabad on March 24 to join the SRH squad. The 25-year-old fast bowler will travel to India with Kamindu Mendis, who already got the NOC from the SLC to play in the league. The left-handed batter was retained by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for this season.
Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana face delays
However, Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana are yet to receive the green signal from the SLC. The report claimed that the LSG spinner and KKR fast bowler could not attend their fitness tests on Monday, March 23, and that’s why their India arrival is delayed.
Pathirana is already expected to miss some part of the upcoming 2026 season as he continues to recover from the hamstring injury, and the Kolkata team is ready to wait for him.
Nuwan Thushara’s participation still not confirmed
Surprisingly, the LSG has no update on Hasaranga from the Sri Lankan board yet. RCB pacer Nuwan Thushara is also stuck in uncertainty as there is no update on his NOC status as of Monday. Now, Thushara’s IPL 2026 participation totally depends on his fitness results.
The SLC recently stated: “Nuwan Thushara’s eligibility for a No Objection Certificate to participate in the IPL will be subject to the outcome of his physical performance test.”
However, other Sri Lankan stars like Dushmantha Chameera, Pathum Nissanka, and Dasun Shanaka have already been cleared by the SLC to play in the IPL 2026.
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Chameera and Nissanka are both part of the Delhi Capitals, while Shanaka will be seen in action for the Rajasthan Royals this season.
IPL faces a big financial slump in 20 years
Meanwhile, the BCCI and IPL have gotten a massive shock ahead of the new season. After almost 20 years of nonstop growth, the IPL’s money machine is finally slowing down.
A report by Media Partners Asia claimed that the next media-rights cycle (2028-32) is expected to stay at $5.4 billion, the same as the current cycle. But the real shock is the drop in value per game in this cycle.
With the league expanding to 94 matches, the earnings per match are expected to fall from $13.2 million to $11.5 million. The report shared that the extra matches are the reason behind this loss.