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. Thushara failed to obtain a No Objection Certificant from Sri Lanka Cricket, and even decided to take legal action against the board in an attempt to secure permission from the board to participate in the IPL.
However, he eventually stepped away after missing a significant portion of the tournament. On the other hand, Khaleel Ahmed sustained an injury on his right quadriceps during CSK’s clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Chepauk Stadium on April 16. He later underwent a surgery and was ruled out of the remainder of the IPL 2026 season. Per franchise, the injury will take over 12 weeks to heal.
Who are Kuldip Yadav and Richard Gleeson?
A medium pacer, Kuldip, made his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals in 2021 and has featured in three games for the franchise over 2021 and 2023 seasons. These are the only T20s he has played thus far. Despite his limited experience under the high pressure of the tournament, the five-time winning side will look to utilize his skills as a vital option.
Gleeson, on the other hand, is an English fast bowler who has featured in six T20I games for his country, taking 9 wickets. He represented CSK and Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2024 and 2025 editions of the league, featuring in 2 games for CSK and one for MI respectively. Gleeson has played two games for the Chennai-based franchise and one game for the Mumbai Indians.
With excerpts from press release
