![KKR fans react to Pathirana's injury [Source: X.com]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1778951396683_PathiranainjuredinKKRvsGT.jpg?type=hq)
KKR fans react to Pathirana's injury [Source: X.com]
A long wait for the Kolkata Knight Riders' fans ended on Saturday evening as Matheesha Pathirana finally made his debut for the franchise, with IPL 2026 survival on the line.
Facing the Gujarat Titans at home, Pathirana was initially named as the impact substitute after the Knight Riders were put in to bat first. However, despite coming on the field for the first time this season, his stay was cut short by an injury in his second over of the day, and he had to walk back to the dressing room.
Having waited for his arrival for 11 matches, the KKR fans were extremely excited for the Sri Lankan pacer to have an impact in the crunch period of the season, but due to another injury concern, they expressed their frustration on social media.
KKR fans express helplessness after Pathirana's injury
Thanks to fifties for Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Cameron Green — all striking over 180, KKR scored a massive 247/2 in 20 overs. In response, GT's Sai Sudharsan had to walk back with an elbow injury, but captain Shubman Gill continued their pursuit of the target.
Bowling his first over, Pathirana started well and only conceded 7 runs, including a four to Gill. When he returned for his second over, he stopped at the load-up to the popping crease on the second ball and called the physio for a potential hamstring injury.
He received some medical assistance on the field and bowled a ball but had to walk back right after it, leaving KKR's innings mid-way. For being sold at INR 18 crore in the auction, fans calculated his per-ball price and expressed their concerns over his KKR future.
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Injuries continue to mount in the KKR camp
The Knight Riders' IPL 2026 season has been affected by injuries long before the first ball was bowled. Following up on the unfortunate release of Mustafizur Rahman, Harshit Rana was ruled out of the season before it began. KKR waited for Matheesha Pathirana's return from injury suffered during the T20 World Cup, but evidently, it did not go as planned.
Adding to this, they had Cameron Green unavailable to bowl at the start of the tournament to manage the workload on his back after he had struggled with a stress fracture. They also had Varun Chakravarthy, who is one of their x-factor players, out with multiple injuries in a few matches, and the spinner was again seen limping against GT.
Also Read: Mohsin Naqvi’s PCB To Fast Track Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Nemesis From Pakistan
KKR's season is hanging by a thread
The injury-hit KKR started the season without a win in the first half of the league phase; however, they managed to return to form and won four matches in a row to stay alive in IPL 2026.
Now, with 9 points on the board and 3 matches to be played, they have their fate in their own hands and winning all three would put them in the playoffs. However, in the 14th over, GT needs 110 off 40 balls, and a loss here would prove to be detrimental for KKR.
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