Why is Matheesha Pathirana not playing KKR vs DC clash of IPL 2026?
Matheesha Pathirana played only one game for KKR in IPL 2026.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are battling against Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 70th match of the Indian Premier League 2026 on May 24. The encounter is taking place at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
This is the last match of the league stage in IPL 2026. Both KKR and DC have been eliminated from the tournament. While KKR take the sixth spot in the points table with 13 points, DC are placed in the eighth place with 12 points.
KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl first in the clash. Notably, pacer Matheesha Pathirana was not part of the encounter. He has played only one game in the tournament.
Why is Matheesha Pathirana missing the KKR vs DC clash?
Pathirana has been ruled out of IPL 2026 due to a hamstring injury. He sustained the injury in an earlier clash against Gujarat Titans. He suffered the injury while bowling in the second innings and had to leave the field midway after bowling just 1.2 overs.
He also missed the previous clash against Mumbai Indians. KKR have named Luvnith Sisodia as his replacement in the squad.
The Sri Lankan pacer missed the initial games of the tournament as he was recovering from an injury he sustained in the T20 World Cup 2026. He joined the KKR squad last month after receiving clearance from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to participate in IPL 2026.
He was benched at the start before getting a chance against GT. However, he got injured in his first game itself. Notably, KKR did not make any changes to their playing XI against DC.
Speaking at the toss, Rahane said, “We will bowl first. It’s pretty simple. We know the scenario depending on what’s going to happen in the previous game, which is happening right now. But regardless of that, we don’t know what the result will be. So yes, I’m really proud of each and every one. Same team”.
Why is Matheesha Pathirana not part of the KKR vs DC clash?
He has been ruled out of the tournament.
Who won the toss in the KKR vs MI match?
KKR won the toss and chose to field first.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.