Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana is set to miss several early matches of the upcoming Indian Premier League season due to injury.
Pathirana, who was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 18 crore at the player auction, will not be available for the first few games of the tournament. The update was confirmed by the team’s head coach Abhishek Nayar during a media briefing today.
The injury dates back to the last World Cup, where Pathirana suffered a leg issue during his third match, forcing him to miss the remainder of the tournament.
According to Nayar, the pacer is currently recovering under the supervision of Sri Lanka Cricket and is expected to regain full fitness and rejoin the squad around mid-April.
Pathirana is not the only concern for Kolkata. Another key fast bowler, Harshit Rana, is also unlikely to feature due to a knee injury.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who was also picked up in the auction, has reportedly been released from the squad due to political issues between India and Bangladesh.
As a result, the Kolkata Knight Riders have lost three of their main fast bowlers even before the tournament begins.
However, team mentor Dwayne Bravo remains confident that other pace options such as Vaibhav Arora, Akash Deep, Umran Malik and Kartik Tyagi, along with the team’s spin attack, can step up and fill the gap.
The 2026 IPL season is scheduled to kick off on March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening match.
