Kolkata Knight Riders finally saw Matheesha Pathirana take the field on Saturday, but the debut joy for the Sri Lankan quick lasted only a moment. Facing Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Pathirana suffered a setback to his left calf during the match and had to retire hurt after bowling just eight deliveries.
Pathirana, who was snapped up for a massive Rs 18 crore at the IPL 2026 auction, had missed the early portion of the campaign because of that calf issue picked up during the T20 World Cup 2026. The tournament ended in March, and his return was eagerly awaited—until the injury flared again in his first appearance for KKR.
Quick facts
- Matheesha Pathirana made his KKR return on Saturday against Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens
- He injured his left calf and retired hurt after bowling 8 balls
- Pathirana was bought for Rs 18 crore at the IPL 2026 auction
- He missed the initial phase of the tournament due to a calf injury from the T20 World Cup 2026 (ended in March)
Allen’s blitz powers KKR to 247/2
While Pathirana’s spell was cut short, KKR’s batting more than made up for it. Finn Allen unleashed a brutal 35-ball 93, surviving two early chances before Gujarat Titans’ sloppy fielding and wayward execution allowed Kolkata to post a season-high total of 247 for two.
Allen was dropped on 14 and again on 33, and the New Zealand opener punished both errors. He struck 10 sixes and four fours in an explosive innings, with 86 runs coming in boundaries, as KKR shifted through gears at will.
After the foundation from the top, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (82 not out) and Cameron Green (52 not out) preserved the momentum with a commanding third-wicket partnership. Their unbeaten 108-run stand came off just 53 balls in what turned into a must-win kind of chase-setting display for KKR.
Gujarat Titans let chances slip repeatedly, dropping four catches across the innings. The three KKR batters who reached half-centuries—Allen, Raghuvanshi, and Green—ended up capitalising heavily each time the fielding went astray.
Raghuvanshi was given a lifeline on 52 when Washington Sundar reprieved him. Green, on 23, was also dropped—this time by Arshad Khan off Rashid Khan.
Rain-affected pitch, disciplined plans unravel
Gujarat Titans were asked to bowl first by skipper Shubman Gill on a surface that looked sticky, with rain having kept it under covers. Even so, their plans collapsed under pressure as poor catching compounded the problems during KKR’s relentless assault.
Allen set the tone early, with KKR racing to 100 in nine overs. From there, it took only eight more overs to move to 200, with the Green-Raghuvanshi combination doing the heavy lifting as the innings entered its final phase.
Allen’s first big scare came on 14, when tall Jason Holder got his fingertips to a sharp opportunity at cover off Mohammed Siraj. The chance went down, and from that moment the Kiwi opener kept finding ways to keep the scoreboard moving.
He then attacked Kagiso Rabada with consecutive sixes—one launched straight over mid-off and another whipped over midwicket off a 149 kph delivery—to march to 28 from just 11 balls.
At the other end, Ajinkya Rahane struggled to gain rhythm, making a scratchy 14 off 14 balls before Siraj removed him. After that dismissal, there was a short wobble inside the powerplay before Allen found another gear.
Holder, when introduced, managed to create a mishit, but Siraj spilled a catch at long-on. From that reprieve, Allen took complete control, hitting both pace and spin with clean timing, selecting lengths early, and clearing the boundary rope with ease.
Rashid Khan was welcomed with two sixes and a four as Allen surged toward a 21-ball half-century. Raghuvanshi played the supporting role perfectly, using the pace intelligently and keeping the runs flowing, including a sharp scoop over the wicketkeeper off Rabada to get his momentum.
Allen looked set to convert into a second IPL hundred this season, until Rashid finally ended the carnage. Rashid took a well-judged catch at deep midwicket off Sai Kishore to bring his innings to an end.
Green made sure there was no let-up in the closing overs, striking three sixes as KKR maintained the intensity through the final stretch. Raghuvanshi also stepped up to keep the scoreboard ticking, helping Kolkata finish with a huge total.
