Matheesha Pathirana cleared to join KKR in IPL 2026: Details
What's the story
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have received a major boost ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Sri Lanka Cricket has confirmed that pacer Matheesha Pathirana is fit and ready to join the team for the upcoming campaign. The confirmation from the board comes as a relief for KKR's pace bowling department, which was hit hard by injuries.
Injury update
Pathirana gets necessary clearance for IPL
Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Bandula Dissanayake confirmed to PTI that Pathirana has completed his rehabilitation and been given the necessary clearance to play in the IPL. However, he added that KKR will have to assess his readiness before finalizing his inclusion. Pathirana had suffered an injury during Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup 2026 group game against Australia and missed the rest of the tournament.
Team dynamics
Pathirana was bought by KKR for ₹18 crore
Pathirana was bought by KKR for ₹18 crore during the IPL 2026 auction as part of a squad reshuffle after finishing eighth on the points table in 2025. The Sri Lankan pacer has been a specialist T20 bowler since joining the IPL, playing 32 matches for Chennai Super Kings and taking 47 wickets since his debut in 2022. However, he had an average season in 2025 with just 13 wickets from 12 matches at an economy rate of 10.14 and an average of 32.62.
Squad changes
Injury concerns in KKR's pace attack
Ahead of the IPL 2026 season, KKR's pace attack has been hit by injuries. Harshit Rana is recovering from a ligament strain in his right knee and is likely to miss the new season. Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman was released earlier this year and KKR replaced him with Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani.