Chennai Super Kings have signed domestic medium pacer Kuldip Yadav as a replacement for injured pacer Khaleel Ahmed, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru have brought in English fast bowler Richard Gleeson in place of Nuwan Thushara for the remainder of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, according to an IPL statement issued on Friday.
CSK signed Kuldip Yadav for ₹30 lakh after Khaleel Ahmed was ruled out with injury, while RCB added Gleeson for ₹1.6 crore following Thushara’s withdrawal from the tournament due to injury concerns.
Khaleel ruled out with quadricep injury
Khaleel Ahmed sustained a right quadricep injury during CSK’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders at Chepauk Stadium on April 16, leading to his exclusion from the remainder of the tournament.
Kuldip Yadav, who previously featured for Rajasthan Royals in 2021, has played three IPL matches so far. CSK will look to utilise his domestic experience during the final phase of the season.
RCB strengthen pace unit with Gleeson
RCB brought in Richard Gleeson to bolster their pace attack after Nuwan Thushara was ruled out due to injury.
Gleeson has represented England in six T20 Internationals and has taken nine wickets in the format. He has prior IPL experience, having played for Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
He featured in two matches for CSK and one game for Mumbai Indians across those editions.
Thushara withdraws legal case against Sri Lanka Cricket
The development comes shortly after Nuwan Thushara withdrew the lawsuit he had filed against Sri Lanka Cricket after being denied a no-objection certificate (NOC) to participate in IPL 2026.
According to an ESPNcricinfo report, Thushara informed the Colombo District Court that he chose to withdraw the case as a major part of the tournament had already concluded. He also reportedly submitted a written apology to Sri Lanka Cricket as part of efforts to settle the dispute.
Earlier, the pacer had challenged the board’s stricter fitness-based NOC regulations, arguing that the rules were unfair and affected his livelihood. During the legal proceedings, he had also indicated that he was considering retirement from international cricket, though his current position on the matter remains unclear.
IPL confirms replacements
In its official statement, the IPL confirmed that both franchises had completed their replacement signings for the remainder of the season following the injuries to the two pacers.
