Matheesha Pathirana to miss early part of IPL 2026 season
What's the story
Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana is likely to miss the early part of IPL 2026. The news was confirmed by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Abhishek Nayar. Pathirana, who suffered a calf strain and was ruled out of the 2026 T20 World Cup, is currently undergoing rehabilitation. He played just three matches in the tournament before being helped off the field during the game against Australia.
Recovery update
'Somewhere mid-April'
"The latest update is that he is with the Sri Lankan cricket board for his rehab," he told the media during KKR's pre-season press conference. He added that they expect Pathirana to be match-fit by mid-April. "Somewhere mid-April is when they feel he'll be match fit." This means the pacer will miss the initial matches of IPL 2026 but could make a comeback later in the tournament.
Another setback
Harshit Rana also unavailable for KKR
KKR have also been dealt a blow by the unavailability of Harshit Rana due to a knee injury. The all-rounder picked up the injury during India's T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa and missed the tournament. Although Rana hasn't been officially ruled out of IPL, Nayar said they are already looking at options to replace him in the team.
Team adjustments
Bravo optimistic about team's depth
KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo remained optimistic despite the absence of key players. He highlighted the team's depth in fast bowlers such as Vaibhav Arora, Akash Deep, Umran Malik, and Kartik Tyagi. Bravo said that once you lose some of the key bowling options, there are things you plan for. He added that the good thing about Indian cricket is that there is a lot of depth.
Player performance
Varun Chakravarthy's form not a concern for KKR
Varun Chakravarthy was the joint-highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup with 14 wickets. However, his performance dipped in the tournament's second half. Nayar and captain Ajinkya Rahane aren't worried about his form, saying a break from cricket is sometimes what a player needs. KKR will start their IPL 2026 campaign on March 29 against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium.
Do you know?
Pathirana was cleared to join KKR in IPL 2026
Earlier on Friday, Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed that pacer Pathirana is fit and ready to join the team for the upcoming campaign. Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Bandula Dissanayake confirmed to PTI that Pathirana completed his rehabilitation and was given the necessary clearance to play in the IPL.