2 months ago
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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Matheesha Pathirana is expected to miss the aboriginal stages of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, portion Harshit Rana's availability successful the tourney is besides uncertain, according to ESPNcricinfo.
KKR caput manager Abhishek Nayar has confirmed that Pathirana, who was snapped up for ₹18 cr successful the IPL auction, volition beryllium disposable lone from mid-April. The Sri Lankan pacer, who missed the 2026 T20 World Cup with a calf strain, is presently undergoing rehabilitation nether the supervision of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
Speaking astatine KKR's pre-season property conference, Abhishek Nayar stated that Pathirana is undergoing rehab with the Sri Lankan Cricket Board and is expected to beryllium lucifer acceptable astir mid-April.
"The latest update that we cognize is he's evidently with the Sri Lankan cricket committee and they took retired his rehab. And the latest connection that we've had is, hopefully, determination mid-April is erstwhile they consciousness he'll beryllium lucifer fit. That's what we cognize arsenic of now," helium said.
KKR are besides facing the nonaccomplishment of Harshit Rana, a cardinal gait bowler for them successful caller seasons, owed to a genu injury. Rana sustained the wounded during India's T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up lucifer against South Africa and missed the tournament.
Nayar described Rana's lack arsenic a important loss, noting his value to the squad implicit caller seasons. He added that KKR is presently evaluating different bowlers with the enactment radical to find a suitable replacement.
"Firstly, it is simply a large blow. Because Harshit has been an integral portion of this squad for the past mates of seasons, including the title season. He's grown a batch arsenic a cricketer implicit the years, truthful it's not casual to regenerate him. Having said that, implicit the past fewer days, we've looked astatine a fewer bowlers. We're trying to evaluate, with the assistance of the enactment group, who fits successful and who tin bash that relation to the champion of their prowess. We're inactive evaluating that and haven't made that determination yet, but hopefully we'll place idiosyncratic soon who tin marque a quality to this squad," the KKR caput manager said.
KKR are acceptable to footwear their IPL 2026 run disconnected against the Mumbai Indians connected March 29 astatine the Wankhede Stadium successful Mumbai. The three-time champions volition past look Sunrisers Hyderabad connected April 2 astatine Kolkata's Eden Gardens, earlier facing disconnected against past year's finalists, Punjab Kings, connected April 6, besides astatine Eden Gardens.
In their 4th IPL match, KKR volition look Lucknow Super Giants connected April 9 astatine Eden Gardens.
