Why did Matheesha Pathirana miss KKR vs SRH clash of IPL 2026?
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KKR acquired Matheesha Pathirana for a whooping 18 crore in the 2026 IPL mini-auction.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad ( SRH)in their second game of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 after suffering a convincing defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians (MI) in the opening clash. The Men in Purple started well with the bat, scoring 220 thanks to half-centuries from captain Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
However, what followed was a breath-taking batting display from MI, mainly their openers in Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton. The duo smashed KKR bowlers to every part of the field, taking full advantage of the excellent batting conditions at the Wankhede Stadium.
The focus for KKR will be on how they can deal with the absence of key players, including Matheesha Pathirana. The pacer had been representing the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL since his debut in 2022, but was released by the five-time winners ahead of the 2026 auction.
Why did Matheesha Pathirana miss KKR vs SRH clash of IPL 2026?
Matheesha Pathirana was KKR’s big signing at the IPL 2026 auction. The team splurged a massive 18 Cr hoping to improve their fast bowling arsenal. However, KKR suffered a setback with Pathirana suffering a calf strain at the T20 World Cup 2026.
The Sri Lankan pacer has not recieved an NOC from the Sri Lankan cricket board, and the franchise continues to wait for his return. It is suspected that he will miss atleast the first two weeks of the competition. Earlier, he also missed the entire Super 8 of the T20 World Cup, after leaving the field mid-match against Australia in the group stages due to his hamstring injury.
Prior to KKR’s first match against Mumbai Indians, assistant coach Shane Watson spoke about Pathirana’s delayed arrival to IPL 2026.
“With Pathirana, obviously, it’s a waiting game at the moment. We’re being guided by the Sri Lankan cricket board and we are just doing everything we can to get him over here as soon as possible,” he had said.
“We certainly would never, ever push him any earlier than he needs to. Because the last thing that we want as KKR is him playing the first game, trying to come back too early and breaking again. So we just hope that sooner rather than later, he is able to come over here and we can really start the integration process,” he had added.
This adds to KKR’s injury woes for the season, with Harshit Rana already ruled out of the competition. Blessing Muzarabani will fill the void until then, as KKR hope for the speedy return of the Sri Lankan fast bowler.
Why did Matheesha Pathirana miss KKR vs SRH match?
Pathirana is recovering from a calf strain and hasn’t recieved an NOC from SLC.
Who did KKR play in the first match of IPL 2026?
KKR lost to MI in their opener.
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Aniruddh Seshadri Iyer is a passionate sports journalist at Khel Now, specializing in tennis and Olympic sports. An engineer by training, he found his storytelling passion through iconic Grand Slam and Olympic moments. Known for sharp analysis and insightful coverage, he draws inspiration from Novak Djokovic’s resilience. Outside journalism, he enjoys reading, traveling, and playing the guitar.