IPL 2026: Matheesha Pathirana granted NOC to join KKR as Joining Date Revealed

Kolkata Knight Riders are set to receive a massive boost as Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana has passed the mandatory fitness test and has been granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by Sri Lanka Cricket.

The Sri Lankan pacer is set to join the KKR squad and is set to be part of the team in the upcoming week, as per a report from ESPNCricinfo.

This development comes as welcome news for KKR, who currently sit at the bottom of the IPL points table with zero wins from their first four matches. The team has been struggling particularly with their bowling attack, which has been hit hard by injuries to Harshit Rana and Akash Deep, the pre-tournament release of Mustafizur Rahman (on BCCI instructions), and a dip in form for Varun Chakravarthy.

When will Matheesha Pathirana join KKR?

The Sri Lankan pacer has recovered well enough from the calf strain he sustained during the T20 World Cup earlier this year. He is set to join the KKR squad on April 17 - the day of their upcoming match against Gujarat Titans - but will only be available for selection starting from the following game on April 19 at home against Rajasthan Royals.

Pathirana, who was acquired by KKR for ₹18 crore in the recent IPL auction after previously playing for Chennai Super Kings, was always expected to miss the early part of the tournament due to the injury. An earlier update in March had indicated he could join by mid-April at the earliest, subject to the NOC.

KKR, at the moment, are sitting at the bottom of the points table. Ajinkya Rahane and his team remain winless this season with just a solitary point in four matches.