As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 approaches its business end, franchises are continuing to reshuffle their squads in response to injury setbacks and availability concerns. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have now made key additions to their pace departments ahead of the crucial final stretch of the competition.
RCB rope in Richard Gleeson for the remainder of IPL 2026
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have signed experienced England fast bowler Richard Gleeson as a replacement for Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Thushara. The Bengaluru-based franchise secured the services of the 38-year-old seamer for INR 1.6 crore. Thushara was unavailable throughout the season after dealing with injury concerns and later failing to receive the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Sri Lanka Cricket. As a result, RCB were forced to explore overseas pace-bowling options ahead of the playoffs race.
Gleeson brings valuable franchise cricket experience to the squad. The right-arm pacer has represented both Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians (MI) in previous IPL seasons and has also featured in six T20Is for England, where he has picked up nine wickets. Known for his ability to bowl hard lengths and variations at the death, Gleeson adds depth to an already impressive RCB bowling attack.
CSK sign Kuldip Yadav after Khaleel Ahmed’s injury setback
Chennai Super Kings, meanwhile, have brought in Indian pacer Kuldip Yadav as a replacement for Khaleel Ahmed, who was ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2026 with a right quadricep injury. Khaleel suffered the injury during CSK’s clash against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium earlier in the tournament. The left-arm quick appeared in visible discomfort during his spell and eventually walked off the field before later being officially ruled out.
To fill the vacancy, CSK signed Kuldip for INR 30 lakh. The medium pacer had previously made his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2021 and has featured in three IPL matches overall. While he remains relatively inexperienced at the highest level, the franchise sees him as a promising domestic option capable of contributing with the ball during the latter half of the season.
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Both teams look to strengthen pace departments
With the playoffs race heating up, both franchises will hope their new additions can quickly settle into the squad environment. While CSK are battling injuries to multiple first-team players, RCB continue to strengthen a squad that has already shown impressive consistency throughout IPL 2026.
For Kuldip, this move represents a fresh opportunity to revive his IPL career, while Gleeson’s experience in franchise cricket could prove valuable for RCB during the crucial final phase of the tournament.
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