After a lot of confusion, Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana is now set to join Kolkata Knight Riders on April 6, according to a RevSportz report. There were many delays about when he would arrive. He was expected to join earlier, and even had tickets booked, but they were later cancelled. Then Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) took the matter into their own hands and put a condition of clearing a fitness test to grant him a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Matheesha Pathirana likely to join KKR on April 6 after fitness clearance
The Malinga-like pacer was bought for a huge INR 18 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders at the auction, and his absence would have created big problems for the team. It is also made to understand that he is recovering well from a calf injury at the NCA in Sri Lanka and will undergo his fitness test next week. He had sustained the injury during the T20 World Cup 2026.
Earlier, Sri Lanka Cricket had given a similar NOC to Dushmantha Chameera, Pathum Nissanka, and Kamindu Mendis after they passed their fitness tests. Kolkata Knight Riders have been in a bit of trouble for some time now. They lost Harshit Rana and Akash Deep for the entire season, and Blessing Muzarabani was named as a replacement. There are even clouds over it if Cameron Green bowls. On the other hand, Wanindu Hasaranga, who was bagged by LSG, is most likely ruled out of the IPL 2026.