Matheesha Pathirana has successfully passed the mandatory fitness assessment set by Sri Lanka Cricket and has received clearance to travel to India, paving the way for him to rejoin Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of IPL 2026. With the no-objection certificate now granted, the pacer is set to link up with KKR around their next fixture window, offering a timely boost to a side struggling for momentum at the bottom of the standings.
Fitness clearance and travel timeline
- Matheesha Pathirana has cleared the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) fitness test.
- He has been issued the no-objection certificate (NOC) to travel to India and join Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2026.
- He is expected to travel to India and join KKR on April 17, the day of the team’s next match against Gujarat Titans.
- Despite arriving on April 17, he will only be available for selection from KKR’s next game on April 19, when they play at home against Rajasthan Royals.
KKR’s early IPL 2026 struggles and points situation
The development is a boost for KKR, who are currently positioned at the foot of the IPL points table. Their immediate challengers have also gained ground, with Chennai Super Kings—who are next in line for KKR and are also Pathirana’s previous team—moving past them after a run of results that has left KKR with three defeats and one washout from their first four outings.
Why the bowling has been under pressure
KKR’s bowling unit has been a major concern in the early phase of the tournament. The issues have been compounded by multiple personnel changes, including withdrawals enforced by injury for Harshit Rana and Akash Deep, as well as the release of Mustafizur Rahman before the tournament began on instructions from the BCCI. On top of that, Varun Chakravarthy—often a key figure on the spin front—has also struggled to find consistent form.
Results that have gone against them
- In their opening match against Mumbai Indians, KKR were unable to defend a total of 220.
- They then fell short by 65 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
- On Thursday, KKR lost a match from a strong position in the death overs against Lucknow Super Giants.
Pathirana’s journey to clearance and the wider injury picture
Pathirana was signed by KKR for INR 18 crore at the most recent IPL auction. From the outset, it was expected that he would miss the early part of the season after suffering a calf strain during the T20 World Cup earlier in the year. On March 20, it was reported that he could potentially join KKR by mid-April at the earliest.
However, that timeline depended on the NOC process, which requires the player to pass SLC’s fitness tests. In the previous update dated April 6, Pathirana had not yet appeared for the fitness test. His situation was similar to Wanindu Hasaranga’s, who also picked up an injury during the T20 World Cup. In an update on Thursday, Hasaranga has been ruled out of IPL 2026 altogether.
