After coming back from a long injury, star Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana made his maiden appearance in IPL 2026 for Ajinkya Rahane-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the game against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Saturday, May 18, just to get injured again after bowling just eight balls.
Big update on Matheesha Pathirana
The star pacer was introduced as an impact player at Eden Gardens, experiencing discomfort during his second over. Following pulling out of his run-up on his eighth ball, he asked for on-field medical treatment. Eventually, the pacer had to leave the field because of the continued discomfort.
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The Kolkata-based franchise will lock horns against Mumbai Indians in their upcoming clash in the tournament, on Wednesday May 20 at the Eden Gardens. However, uncertainty still looms over Matheesha Pathirana's availability for the game. However, the latest reports drop negative updates on the star pacer.
According to a latest report by Cricbuzz, the star Sri Lankan pacer is highly unlikely to suit up for KKR in the game against MI, as he was absent from the training sessions in the lead-up to the fixture.
How Matheesha Pathiran has fared in IPL?
Matheesha Pathirana made his IPL debut for Chennai Super Kings in 2022 and has picked up 47 wickets in 33 outings at an economy of 8.68 and a bowling average of 21.6.
In the 2025 IPL season, Pathirana struggled a lot because of injuries and faced difficulties in managing consistency, as he managed to take only 13 wickets in 12 games at an economy rate of 10.14. After this season, he was released by CSK and was roped by KKR in the mini-auction.
In T20Is, Pathirana has taken 40 wickets in just 28 games for Sri Lanka, at an economy of 8.43 and an average of 18.3.