Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has finalised its annual player contract list for the 2026-27 season, awarding contracts to 46 players across six categories, with fast bowler Nuwan Thushara’s inclusion emerging as one of the biggest talking points.

Thushara’s place on the list comes as a surprise given his earlier request to be excluded from future national contracts. The paceman had previously informed SLC that he did not wish to be considered for central contracts, making his return to the contracted players’ pool an unexpected development. It remains unclear whether the player has changed his position or whether discussions with the board led to his inclusion.

Nuwan Thushara

While there are no major shocks among the selected players, the omission of leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha has raised eyebrows. Hemantha, who represented Sri Lanka at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and was initially named among a provisional list of 55 players, failed to make the final cut when SLC reduced the number of contracts to 39 and then increased again to 46.

The decision leaves uncertainty surrounding the future of the 32-year-old spinner, who has struggled to establish himself as a regular in the national side despite earning opportunities in recent years. Another notable inclusion is wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella. Despite not having played international cricket for Sri Lanka since 2023, Dickwella has retained his place among the contracted players.

Several players who were initially under consideration have missed out. Among them are promising all-rounder Chamindu Wickramasinghe, young leg-spinner Traveen Mathew, off-spinner Nishan Peiris and Test opener Oshada Fernando.

The contracted players have been placed into six categories, A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and Central Contracts — with remuneration ranging from US$130,000 at the highest level to US$10,000 annually at the lower end of the scale.

Sri Lanka’s white-ball captain Kusal Mendis, prolific opener Pathum Nissanka and premier all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga headline the top bracket, reflecting their importance to the national setup across formats.

The list also includes several emerging players who have impressed selectors over the past 12 months. Among them are Pavan Rathnayake, Wanuja Sahan, Mohammed Shiraz, Isitha Wijesundara and Sonal Dinusha, all of whom continue to be viewed as prospects for the future.

Meanwhile, Lasith Croospulle, recently recalled to Sri Lanka’s T20 squad, has also secured a contract, underlining the selectors’ confidence in his potential role going forward. The finalised contract list reflects SLC’s efforts to strike a balance between rewarding established performers and investing in the next generation as the national team prepares for a demanding international calendar over the coming year. SLC confirmed that the list was finalised with the inputs from previous selectors and the current selectors.