Matheesh Pathirana Fitness Update: Sri Lankan Pacer Likely To Join KKR Camp By March 29 Ahead Of Season Opener Against MI

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IPL 2026: Ahead of the start of IPL 2026, there is a big relief in the Kolkata Knight Riders' camp as Matheesh Pathirana has recovered from his injury and is expected to join the camp ahead of the Mumbai Indians match. The recovery of Pathirana will be an added advantage for the Knight Riders, who are expected to shoulder the pace attack in the power play and during the death overs, especially in the absence of Harshit Rana.

Pathirana was injured during the T20 World Cup and sidelined for the entire tournament, which gave a major blow to the bowling attack of Sri Lanka during the World Cup. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Board Secretary Bandula Dissanayake told news agency PTI, "Pathirana's rehab is complete. Pathirana has been given permission to join the IPL."

When Will Matheesh Pathirana Join The KKR Camp?

According to a report by Aajkal, the Sri Lankan pacer will join the KKR camp by March 29, ahead of the franchise's season opener against the Mumbai Indians. The Knights are currently training at Eden Gardens.

The first match will be against the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede on March 29. Post that, KKR will play three consecutive matches at Eden Gardens against SRH, PBKS, and LSG on March 2,6 and 9, respectively.

Earlier, the franchise had to drop Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman from the team due to the Indo-Bangladesh ties. The three-time IPL champions then suffered one more blow in the form of Harshit Rana, who got a knee injury just before the T20 World Cup. Despite undergoing surgery, the right-arm pacer could not recover in time. He has also been sidelined from the IPL, and there is no chance that he can make a comeback this season.

In this precarious situation, Pathirana's return will definitely be a moral booster for the Knight Riders.