IPL 2026: Matheesha Pathirana set to miss early part of tournament

Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana will miss the initial part of IPL 2026 as he continues to recover from a calf injury. The 23-year-old pacer will join Kolkata Knight Riders in mid-April, head coach Abhishek Nayar confirmed.

Pathirana featured in only three matches in 2026 T20 World Cup, spending the remaining time in rehabilitation after leaving the field midway through Sri Lanka’s match against Australia.

"The latest update is that he is with the Sri Lankan cricket board for his rehab," Nayar said during KKR's pre-season press conference. "Somewhere mid-April is when they feel he'll be match fit."

Pathirana’s injury adds to KKR’s bowling woes as they have lost Harshit Rana to a knee injury. Rana, who was initially named in India’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad, missed the whole tournament after picking up the injury in the warm-up match against South Africa.

"Firstly, it is a big blow," Nayar said, "because Harshit has been an integral part of this team for the last couple of seasons, including the championship season. He has grown a lot as a cricketer over the years, so it's not easy to replace him.

"Having said that, over the last few days, we have looked at a few bowlers. We're trying to evaluate, with the help of the leadership group, who fits in and who can do that role to the best of their prowess. We haven't made the decision yet, but hopefully we will identify someone soon who can make a difference to this squad."

KKR’s misery does not end there, as they will also be without Bangladesh’s left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who was released by the franchise following a BCCI mandate earlier in the year amid the worsening geopolitical ties between India and Bangladesh. KKR have replaced him with Zimbabwe’s lanky pacer Blessing Muzarabani, with Vaibhav Arora, Akash Deep, Umran Malik and Kartik Tyagi the other pace options.

"In any tournament with any team, once you lose some of the key bowling options, there are things you plan for, but also things you have to accept," KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo said. "The good thing about Indian cricket, especially at the moment, is that there is a lot of depth.

"So there are some guys that we are definitely looking at to fill the spot - the likes of Umran Malik. These guys are also players who have represented the national team at some point in time and have also played in the IPL before. They are young, exciting talents. So, for me personally, I'm happy to work with this group of fast bowlers.

"We have the best spin attack in the entire competition, so from a bowling point of view, I think we will be fine. Also, I can't forget Vaibhav - what a fantastic season last year. He has been the leader of the attack over the last two seasons as well. So, yes, we've lost some key players, but I feel comfortable [knowing that] we have what it takes to replace those guys."

KKR will commence their campaign against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29.