Why did Matheesha Pathirana miss LSG vs KKR clash of IPL 2026?
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
Matheesha Pathirana has joined KKR squad in IPL 2026.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are up against each other in the 38th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Both teams have struggled to find rhythm and currently are two of the worst performers in this season.
Rishabh Pant & Co. are placed ninth in the IPL 2026 points table, with just two wins and five defeats in seven encounters. Their two wins came against KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). But they have lost four games in a row and will need to bounce back at any cost.
On the other hand, Ajinkya Rahane & Co. are stranded at the last position in the IPL 2026 points table. They failed to win their first six games (one no result), but registered their first victory of the season against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their previous game.
Why is Matheesha Pathirana not playing LSG vs KKR clash of IPL 2026?
Pathirana joined the KKR recently after he was declared fit. It was expected that he would make his debut for KKR vs LSG, but that wasn’t the case as he missed out yet again. KKR opted for an unchanged line-up, which came as a surprise, especially with his struggles in the league.
The Sri Lankan pacer missed the first half of the tournament due to a calf strain, which he sustained during the T20 World Cup 2026. He received his No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and joined the KKR camp recently.
There is possibility that he might not be match-ready, which made him miss LSG vs KKR game. With KKR spending around INR 18 crores on him, there are chances that he might make his debut in next game.
LSG vs KKR: Playing XI’s of both teams
Lucknow Super Gants: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (WK/C), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Mukul Choudhary, George Linde, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Mohsin Khan.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Tim Seifert (WK), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi.
Who won the toss in LSG vs KKR clash of IPL 2026?
LSG won the toss and opted to field first.
Why did Matheesha Pathirana miss LSG vs KKR clash of IPL 2026?
Matheesha Pathirana missed LSG vs KKR clash of IPL 2026 due to team combination.
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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.