Last Updated: May 15, 2026 05:11 PM
Royal Challengers Bengaluru needed to boost their overseas bowling options urgently. The defending champions are flying high atop the points table currently. But an injury to their Sri Lankan pacer forced them into the replacement market.
Nuwan Thushara Ruled Out of Entire IPL 2026 Season
Nuwan Thushara won’t play a single match for RCB this year. The Sri Lankan pacer was ruled out fully due to injuries. An official IPL statement confirmed this sad news for the franchise.
Thushara barely featured for RCB last season either, playing just one match. His injury this year means he’s essentially missed two consecutive IPL campaigns. That’s terrible luck for any professional cricketer trying to establish themselves.
RCB initially hoped he’d recover and contribute during the business end. But medical assessments showed the injury needs longer rehabilitation than is available. The defending champions couldn’t wait and needed immediate bowling reinforcement now.
Richard Gleeson Joins RCB for INR 1.6 Crore
RCB announced Richard Gleeson’s signing on their official social media on May 15. The 31-year-old English bowler joins for INR 1.6 crore for the remaining matches. That’s decent money for someone with limited IPL experience honestly.
Gleeson brings interesting credentials despite being relatively unknown in India perhaps. He debuted internationally at 34 years old, which is quite late. Since then, he’s played 6 T20Is for England taking 9 wickets.
His IPL experience looks pretty sparse though – just 3 matches total combined. He played 1 match for the Mumbai Indians last season grabbing 1 wicket. Before that, 2 matches for Chennai Super Kings in 2024 yielded 1 wicket.
But Gleeson has serious T20 franchise experience beyond IPL extensively elsewhere. He’s played in SA20, PSL, Vitality Blast, and Men’s Hundred regularly. Those leagues taught him how to handle pressure situations under different conditions globally.
Why This Signing Makes Sense for RCB
RCB sit at the top with 16 points from 12 matches played. 8 wins and 4 losses nearly guarantee their playoff qualification already. They’re favorites for a top-two finish giving them a Qualifier 1 advantage.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads the Purple Cap race with 22 wickets brilliantly bowling. Josh Hazlewood is back from injury taking 11 wickets from 9 matches. That pace duo looks hard heading into the playoffs.
Gleeson provides the third overseas pace option RCB lacked before now. Winning one from their last two matches secures a top-two position. The defending champions want every possible advantage to defend their IPL title successfully.
