Sri Lankan cricket has produced some unique bowling actions over the decades. Nuwan Thushara continues that fascinating tradition with his style. His slingy action reminds everyone of legendary Lasith Malinga instantly. Batters struggle picking his deliveries from that unusual release point. Indian franchise cricket noticed his skills during recent seasons.
Nuwan Thushara: The Malinga-Style Pacer
Nuwan Thushara bowls right-arm fast with completely unorthodox action. His bowling style looks nearly identical to Lasith Malinga’s. Such actions create different trajectories that confuse batters completely. He’s played extensive T20 cricket across various global leagues.
His T20 International record speaks volumes about his quality. He’s grabbed 26 wickets in just 18 matches there. That average of 16.73 seems brilliant for any bowler. Sri Lanka relies on him heavily during limited-overs tournaments.
The slingy action makes yorkers especially deadly from him. Batters find it tough judging length from that angle. Death bowling becomes his speciality in matches regularly.
His IPL Price Journey
The Mumbai Indians first brought Nuwan Thushara to the IPL in 2024. They paid ₹4.8 crore for his unusual skills then. That massive amount of money showed their belief in him clearly. He contributed wickets regularly during that debut IPL season.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru picked him up for the 2025 season. They invested ₹1.60 crore to secure his services. This amount dropped significantly from his Mumbai contract. However, his abilities remained exactly the same throughout.
The price reflected market dynamics during that particular auction. His IPL price stayed at ₹1.60 crore for 2026 retention. Squads value bowlers who bring something different always.
His IPL Team Switch
Nuwan Thushara moved from the Mumbai Indians to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. His new IPL team won their first championship in 2025. He joined an impressive pace attack there immediately. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, and Lungi Ngidi became mates.
Such quality bowlers around him create healthy competition constantly. His franchise uses him smartly during powerplay and death. The unorthodox action adds variety to their bowling plans. Players struggle facing different bowling styles in one attack.
His IPL team expects him to deliver crucial breakthroughs regularly. Experience across T20 leagues helps him adapt quickly everywhere.
Limited But Promising IPL Stats
Thushara has played just 8 IPL matches till now. Those games brought him 9 wickets at an average of 31.44. Best bowling figures read 3/28 from one spell. Economy rate sits at 9.43 across his career.
Small sample sizes don’t reveal complete pictures obviously here. However, his T20I record suggests better numbers will come. His team for 2026 believes he’ll improve those statistics. Expect more yorkers and wickets from him this season.
