Can KKR use substitute for injured Matheesha Pathirana vs GT in IPL 2026 clash?

Matheesha Pathirana was brought in as the impact player by KKR for the first time in IPL 2026.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are in a must-win scenario, and still have a chance to qualify for the playoffs despite their slow start in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Playing on home soil, KKR are battling against the in-form Gujarat Titans (GT), who have been the best bowling side of the tournament.

However, Finn Allen (93) had other ideas, as he hammered GT’s bowlers to every part of the ground. The Titans did not help themselves on the field, as they dropped Allen on numerous instances. Later, Cameron Green and Angkrish Raghuvanshi set up a fabulous partnership to help KKR post a massive total of 247 runs.

In reply, GT suffered a huge blow early in the innings, as their key opener Sai Sudarshan was forced to leave field, after coping a serious injury to the arm.

Can KKR use substitute for injured Matheesha Pathirana vs GT?

KKR made a smart call at the toss, deciding to keep both Rovman Powell and Matheesha Pathirana in the impact player list. Considering how well their top-order batters performed, Powell would have not had any role to play in the match had he been listed in the playing XI.

Hence, Matheesha Pathirana finally got a chance to play for KKR, marking his debut for the franchise. After bowling a decent first over in the powerplay, the Sri Lankan returned to bowl the important sixth over. However, just after two balls, he had to leave the field due to a familiar hamstring injury.

This was the same injury which had sidelined him since the T20 World Cup2026. It remains to be seen if he plays any further role in this match.

Since Pathirana had suffered an hamstring injury, he cannot be replaced by another player. Replacements are allowed only for concussion, and not for external injuries. Hence, KKR will be one bowler short, and will not be allowed to bring in an extra bowler from the impact player options.

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