Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spent almost the first half of the IPL 2026 campaign waiting for Matheesha Pathirana to join the squad, yet the Sri Lankan fast bowler remains on the sidelines. Pathirana, who was acquired for ₹18 crore at the auction, has been available for the franchise’s most recent two matches, but he has still not made his debut. With KKR preparing to face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday, the team’s plans for the pacer have not been officially confirmed.
How Pathirana’s IPL 2026 arrival unfolded
- KKR had to wait nearly half of the IPL 2026 season for Pathirana’s arrival.
- Pathirana was bought for ₹18 crore in the IPL 2026 auction.
- He joined KKR’s training group in mid-April after recovering from a hamstring injury picked up during the T20 World Cup 2026.
- Despite being present for the team’s last two games, Pathirana did not play either match.
- KKR are still deciding whether he will feature against SRH on Sunday.
KKR’s recent form and overseas XI choices
KKR endured a difficult start, losing five of their opening six matches. However, they have steadied their campaign slightly by winning two of their last two outings. Still, Pathirana was not included as KKR continued without a specialist overseas pace option in those games.
In their most recent stretch of three matches, KKR have leaned on a four-man overseas core made up of Cameron Green (signed for ₹25.20 crore), wicket-keeper batter Tim Seifert, Rovman Powell from West Indies, and spin specialist Sunil Narine. Narine has been impactful, and Green has started to show flashes of what he can bring. Seifert and Powell, though, have struggled to contribute consistently with the bat. Seifert, in particular, has been dismissed for a duck in each of the last two matches.
Tim Southee on Pathirana ahead of SRH clash
Tim Southee, KKR’s bowling coach and a former New Zealand international, addressed Pathirana’s selection ahead of the match versus SRH on May 3. At the pre-match press conference, Southee confirmed that Pathirana has joined the group and described his training as productive.
“Yes, he (Pathirana) has arrived. He’s been around the group for a little bit now,” Southee said.
He added: “We’ll look at conditions and make a decision on the side that we think is best for tomorrow’s game. He’s been bowling well at training, and it’s great to have him a part of the side.”
Other overseas options for KKR
Alongside Pathirana, KKR have additional overseas resources to choose from, including Kiwi opener Finn Allen, all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, and Zimbabwe pace bowler Blessing Muzarabani.
