Matheesha Pathirana and Abhishek Nayar [Source: X]Ex-CSK pacer and Sri Lanka speedster Matheesha Pathirana is all but ruled out of IPL 2026, as his latest franchise, KKR, has issued an official statement on his availability status for this edition of the Indian Premier League. Matheesha Pathirana, who was signed by KKR for a massive amount of INR 18 crore, will have a delayed arrival due to his injury. Notably, Pathirana sustained an injury during the T20 World Cup 2026 and was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament. Pathirana Injury Lingers On For KKR Ahead Of IPL 2026 Pathirana injured his left leg, sustaining a muscle strain, more specifically, a hamstring injury, while bowling against Australia on February 16, 2026. Adding to the uncertainty just days before the IPL season is set to begin, sources confirmed that due to extreme uncertainty, Matheesha Pathirana’s flight tickets were being booked and then cancelled almost daily, as they awaited final clearance from the Sri Lanka Cricket Board. As per an official statement from the Sri Lanka Cricket Board on March 20, Pathirana, who has requested NOCs to participate in IPL 2026, is yet to undergo the physical performance test, as he is still undergoing rehabilitation to recover from the injuries he sustained. He will undergo the tests upon completion of his recovery and rehabilitation programmes. Doubling down on this statement, Kolkata Knight Riders, in an official press conference, have revealed the status of Pathirana's participation in the tournament.Also Read: Dwayne Bravo Caught Flaunting 'Chicks' On Live Camera; Ajinkya Rahane Left EmbarrassedKKR Coach Reveals IPL 2026 Availability For Matheesha Pathirana Abhishek Nayar, the coach, has issued a statement that the Sri Lanka Cricket Board has informed the franchise that Pathirana is expected to be fit around mid-April and will only be declared available if he achieves full fitness. "The board has told us that he will be match-fit by somewhat around mid-April and that's what we know till now," Nayar told reporters. This means that the franchise will miss Pathirana for the first phase of IPL 2026, where he will be absent for the first four matches that Kolkata will play against Mumbai, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants, and Punjab Kings. KKR Gets Massive Blow With Pathirana Injury Update While Kolkata Knight Riders looked strong on paper after the IPL 2026 auction, several unfortunate incidents have now weakened their once formidable pace attack formation. After Mustafizur Rahman was ruled out of the IPL due to geopolitical tensions and socio-religious conflict, KKR also lost Harshit Rana due to an injury and Matheesha Pathirana as well, ruling out three of the leading pacers from their bowling lineup. As of now, Pathirana's absence will be covered by veteran Vaibhav Arora alongside new signing Zimbabwean tall pacer Blessing Muzarabani, along with Jammu and Kashmir talent Umran Malik and India pacer Aakash Deep. What Will Kolkata Miss In Pathirana? Notably, Pathirana's contribution in the IPL has been significant with the ball. Playing for CSK, Pathirana has scalped 47 wickets from 32 outings while maintaining a tight economy rate of 8.68 and striking regularly at 14.9. Matheesha Pathirana will be missed for his effectiveness in the death overs in the IPL. Pathirana has taken 31 wickets in the death overs while bowling at a slightly expensive economy rate of 9.04, averaging 15.3 and striking at 10.1. However, it does not mean that he is not effective with the new ball. In the middle overs, Pathirana has maintained tight control over batters with an economy rate of 8.40, as he has taken 16 wickets from 64.4 overs while bowling at a strike rate of 24.2. Hence, Pathirana's absence will significantly hurt KKR in IPL 2026, which they will try to cover with Muzarabani, Aakash Deep, and Vaibhav Arora, among others.Also Read: Overseas Pacers Delhi Capitals Can Sign As Mitchell Starc's Replacements For IPL 2026
