Before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have received a big news about the injury of Sri Lankan fast bowler Mathisha Pathirana. Pathirana’s manager Amila Kalugagale posted a picture on social media, in which he is seen wearing the Kolkata-based franchise’s jersey.
Right-arm fast bowler Mathisha Pathirana suffered the injury while playing for Sri Lanka during the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup 2026. He was ruled out of the prestigious tournament, raising concerns about his availability for IPL 2026. The fast bowler took two wickets in three matches at an economy rate of 6.05.
Mathisha Pathirana declared fit for IPL 2026
Mathisha Pathirana has been declared fully fit ahead of IPL 2026. A social media post confirmed that he is set to wear the purple jersey of Kolkata Knight Riders soon. He has recovered from his recent injury and is expected to lead the team’s pace attack.
Pathirana’s manager posted this on Twitter
She’s ready to rule in purple pic.twitter.com/M0F21MNtFW
– Rokte Amarr KKR (@Rokte_Amarr_KKR) 16 March 2026
During the mini auction, Kolkata Knight Riders bought Pathirana for ₹18 crore. The franchise entered the auction with the biggest purse and targeted him after Chennai Super Kings released him after last season.
The team also signed Australian all-rounder Cameron Green in the auction for more than ₹25 crore. Kolkata Knight Riders were in need of strong additional players after a poor title defense last year.
They finished eighth in the points table with only five wins during the season. It is noteworthy that under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, the Kolkata franchise won its third IPL title in 2024.
Mathisha Pathirana wants to make a comeback after injury problem
Mathisha Pathirana has suffered a number of injuries in recent seasons. Before suffering a hamstring injury, he had taken 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.68 during the 2024 season. His fitness problems forced Chennai Super Kings to reconsider his retention.
He also missed the first few games of the 2025 season. Later, he finished the season with 13 wickets but his economy rate was as high as 10.13.
However, his overall IPL record is still impressive. Pathirana has taken 47 wickets in 32 innings at an economy rate of 8.68. The fast bowler will be hoping for a good performance in his debut season with Kolkata Knight Riders.
KKR is facing bowling problems ahead of IPL 2026
Kolkata Knight Riders are facing many problems before the start of IPL 2026. The three-time champions have been hit by injuries and player availability issues in their bowling department.
The franchise had to release Mustafizur Rahman, who was signed for ₹9.20 crore. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed KKR to release the Bangladesh player due to political tension.
KKR will also miss Harshit Rana for the entire IPL 2026 season. The right-arm fast bowler suffered a knee injury during Team India’s T20 World Cup 2026 practice match against South Africa. He has undergone surgery and now his recovery will begin.
The franchise replaced Blessing Muzurbani with Mustafizur Rahman for IPL 2026. However, KKR has not yet announced Harshit Rana’s replacement.
Also read: Michael Vaughan criticizes Rohit Sharma, Chris Gayle while naming him the best captain and batsman of all time in IPL
