MI vs KKR: When Will Matheesha Pathirana Play For Kolkata Knight Riders? Has He Joined KKR Squad?

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Matheesha Pathirana is likely to link up with the Kolkata Knight Riders squad around April 6, according to a report by RevSportz. The Sri Lankan fast bowler, who was picked by KKR for ₹18 crore ahead of IPL 2026, is currently completing the final stages of his recovery from a calf injury suffered during the T20 World Cup. He has been undergoing rigorous training at the National Cricket Academy in Sri Lanka and is expected to take his fitness tests in the coming week.

As per the regulations of Sri Lanka Cricket, players must clear designated fitness benchmarks before being allowed to join franchise leagues. Only after meeting these standards are they granted a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in tournaments like the IPL. Earlier, Nuwan Thushara failed his assessment, while Dushmantha Chameera, Pathum Nissanka, and Kamindu Mendis successfully cleared theirs and have already joined their respective teams.

Matheesha Pathirana Resumes Bowling In The Nets

Although Pathirana has resumed bowling in the nets during the latter part of his rehab, he has opted not to rush the final fitness evaluation due to his injury history. With a demanding T20 calendar and international commitments on the horizon, he has taken a careful and measured approach to his comeback.

The KKR management remains informed about his progress and will be hopeful of his availability by early April, though his participation will ultimately depend on the outcome of his fitness test.

In a related development, Wanindu Hasaranga, who was signed by the Lucknow Super Giants for IPL 2026, is expected to miss the entire season.

IPL 2026: KKR Full Squad

Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Tejasvi Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep, Blessing Muzarabani.