Kolkata Knight Riders have received a timely boost ahead of their next stretch in the Indian Premier League. Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana, who was purchased by the franchise for ₹18 crore at last year’s auction, is expected to join the team in the coming days and be available for the remainder of their campaign.
KKR, however, have started the season poorly so far. In their opening results, they have suffered defeats in three matches—against Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants. A further fixture versus Punjab Kings ended in a washout, denying both sides a result.
The context for that rain-affected game has mattered. At the time the match was called off, KKR were 25/2 and looked poised to avoid another uncomfortable outing—so the interruption, in a way, helped them escape what could have been a harsher start.
Pathirana’s return and the delay
Pathirana’s involvement is a significant lift for KKR, particularly given how their bowling unit has struggled early on. He had sustained a calf injury during the 2026 T20 World Cup, picking up the issue in a group encounter against Australia. After that setback, he was ruled out of action for a period.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka also had to contend with the absence of other key personnel. Wanindu Hasaranga had already been ruled out, and Sri Lanka found it difficult to find momentum in the Super 8 stage, failing to win any of their matches during that phase.
Last month, Sri Lanka Cricket’s secretary Bandula Dissanayake indicated that Pathirana had received the clearance to take part in the IPL once he completed rehabilitation. Dissanayake’s remarks were clear on the status at the time: he said that to his knowledge Pathirana was fit and that Sri Lanka had issued a No Objection Certificate for him to participate in the tournament.
At that point, it seemed likely that the 23-year-old could have been ready from the earliest match, but it became evident that his recovery was not complete enough, which pushed back his availability for KKR.
Which matches Pathirana will miss—and when he could play
- KKR have faced injury concerns early in the season, with Harshit Rana and Akash Deep among those sidelined.
- With those setbacks, the franchise had been hoping Pathirana would step in, but KKR later learned he would not be available immediately.
- Pathirana is not expected to join KKR for their next two fixtures, against Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday and Gujarat Titans on Friday.
- His expected window for action begins with the April 19 match versus Rajasthan Royals.
KKR will now be counting on results in those two games to keep them within touching distance of the playoff race before Pathirana takes the field. If they fail to improve during the period without him, the pressure on them could intensify quickly—especially for a franchise that has already tasted the pain of an unsteady start.
For now, KKR remain the only team in the IPL that has not managed a single win, a situation that will be particularly difficult to digest for the three-time champions.
