Kolkata Knight Riders Anticipate Matheesha Pathirana's Return for IPL 2026
Kolkata Knight Riders Gear Up for IPL 2026
The IPL 2026 is set to kick off on March 28 (Saturday), and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are among the teams to watch. After a disappointing 8th place finish last season, KKR has made significant changes to their roster during the auction. However, just ahead of the tournament, they faced a series of injury setbacks. One notable injury was to their star Sri Lankan bowler, Matheesha Pathirana, who was acquired by KKR for a hefty sum of Rs 18 crore. His participation in IPL 2026 was uncertain after he was ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026 due to injury. Fortunately for KKR, there is some good news.
As reported by RevSportz, Matheesha Pathirana is expected to make his comeback from injury and will be available for KKR's second match of the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 2 (Thursday). This match will also mark KKR's first home game of the season at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Consequently, Pathirana will miss the opening match of IPL 2026 for KKR against Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium on March 29 (Sunday).
Sri Lanka Cricket Confirms Pathirana's Fitness
There were concerns that Matheesha Pathirana might not receive a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from Sri Lanka Cricket to participate in IPL 2026. However, the report from RevSportz indicates that obtaining an NOC will not pose any issues. In a conversation with a news agency, SLC secretary Bandula Dissanayake confirmed that the board has granted him an NOC. He also mentioned that Pathirana has successfully completed his rehabilitation program and is now fit. The final decision regarding his participation in the IPL will depend on KKR's assessment.
"As far as I know, he's fit and we have given him NOC to participate in the IPL, that's all I know at this point of time," Dissanayake stated. "He has completed rehab and he is fit. But the franchise will be tasked to assess his readiness. At the moment we don't know anything about that. As far as we know he is fit and ready to join IPL," he added.