The uncertainty over Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathriana’s participation in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) await his update on the injury he sustained during the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026.

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Pathirana, who was acquired by KKR for a whopping INR 18 crore after his four-year stint with Chennai Super Kings, sustained a calf muscle injury during the T20 World Cup match against Australia in February this year and was later ruled out of the tournament. Since then, the 23-year-old has been out of cricket, leaving KKR unsure if he will feature in their opening matches of IPL 2026.

Matheesha Pathirana was the second-most expensive buy after Cameroon Green’s INR 25.2 crore acquisition by the Kolkata-based franchise, making his fitness a key concern ahead of KKR’s campaign, which will begin against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29.

Tickets Booked and Cancelled Daily

With just nine days left for the IPL 2026 to commence, Kolkata Knight Riders remain unsure about Pathirana’s arrival. The Sri Lankan pacer’s injury has thrown the franchise into uncertainty, as they await clarity on when he can join the camp.

According to the report by Anand Bazar Pratrika, the source close to the KKR stated that there is no clarity on Matheesha Pathirana’s availability for the season, as his tickets are repeatedly booked and cancelled due to ongoing fitness concerns, leaving the team to plan their pace attack without certainty on their star bowler.

Matheesha Pathirana’s uncertainty came at a time when the Kolkata Knight Riders’ pace attack is already stretched, with key bowler Harshit Rana unavailable due to a knee injury, putting added pressure on the team to balance experience and firepower for the opening matches of IPL 2026.

Earlier, KKR were forced to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman due to criticism and backlash over his acquisition amid the heightened tensions between India and Bangladesh, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India instructing the franchise to drop him from their IPL 2026 squad before the season began.

Pathirana Denied NOC by SLC?

Amid the uncertainty over Matheesha Pathirana’s availability for the IPL 2026, reports emerged that the pacer has been denied a non-objection certificate (NOC) by Sri Lanka Cricket due to failure to clear the fitness tests before joining the KKR squad.

According to the rumours on social media, Sri Lanka Cricket is yet to grant an NOC, which is essential for Matheesha Pathirana to join KKR, as he hasn’t cleared the necessary fitness benchmarks, meaning he may not be cleared to play in IPL 2026 unless he proves full recovery and meets SLC’s fitness criteria before the season starts.

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However, the report by Revsportz suggested that Pathirana has not applied for the NOC yet, as the process only begins once he completes the required fitness tests. Though the Sri Lankan pacer has started bowling in the nets, yet to bowl at full intensity, which is required for him to regain full fitness and secure the NOC.

The source close to Pathirana is confident that he will reach 100% fitness in the coming days, which would allow him to secure clearance from Sri Lanka Cricket in time for IPL 2026. However, Kolkata Knight Riders are kept at the edge of uncertainty, as they cannot finalise their pace attack or Playing XI until Pathirana proves full fitness and obtains the NOC.