Matheesha Pathirana (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil) Matheesha Pathirana will miss the opening phase of IPL 2026, with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Abhishek Nayar confirming at a pre-season press conference on Friday that the pacer is likely to be available only from mid-April. Pathirana, who has been ruled out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20 due to a calf strain, is currently undergoing rehabilitation under the supervision of Sri Lanka Cricket. He made just three appearances in the tournament before being helped off the field during the match against Australia.
KKR are waiting for a fitness update
Nayar gave an update on the young fast bowler’s recovery: “The last update we know is that he’s apparently with the Sri Lankan cricket board and they’ve canceled his rehab and the last communication we’ve had is hopefully sometime in mid-April when they feel he’ll be fit. That’s what we know as of now.”
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Sri Lanka Cricket releases NOC update for IPL 2026
Dushmantha Chameera, Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis, who have successfully completed their physical performance tests, have received NOCs to participate in the IPL. Nuwan Thushara’s eligibility to receive a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in the IPL will depend on the outcome of his physical performance test.”Wanindu Hasaranga, Eshan Malinga and Matheesha Pathirana, who have requested the NOC to participate in IPL 2026, are yet to undergo the physical performance test as they are still undergoing rehabilitation to recover from the injuries sustained. The players concerned will undergo tests after completing their recovery and rehabilitation programmes,” the SLC said in a statement on Friday.
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“First of all, it’s a big blow” – Nayar
Nayar admitted that Harshit’s absence is a big setback for KKR:“First of all, it’s a big blow because Harshit has been an integral part of this team for the last couple of seasons, including the championship. He’s grown a lot as a cricketer over the years, so it’s not easy to replace him.”He added that team management is actively exploring replacement options: “We’ve looked at several pitchers in the last few days. We’re trying to evaluate with the help of the leadership group who fits in and who can best fill that role, we’re still evaluating it and we haven’t made a decision yet, but hopefully we’ll be able to identify that soon.”
Bravo bolsters squad depth despite setbacks
KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo struck a confident tone: “Once you lose some of the key bowling options in any tournament with any team, those are things you plan for but also things you have to accept, the good thing about Indian cricket, especially at the moment, is that there is a lot of depth.”Bravo pointed to several Indian pacers who could step up: “So there are some guys, as the coach mentioned, that we are definitely looking at to fill the slot – like Umran Malik.”“These guys are also players who have represented the national team and also played in the IPL earlier. They are young, exciting talents. So for me personally, I am happy to work with this group of fast bowlers,” he added.
