Cricketer Matheesha Pathirana (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary) Former Indian cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth has expressed surprise at the massive amount paid to Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana during the IPL 2026 auction where Kolkata Knight Riders secured him for a staggering INR 18 crore. Known for his unusual bowling action, Pathirana attracted intense interest on the day of the auction, with Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants engaged in an early bidding battle before KKR stepped in and eventually outbid Lucknow to land the pacer at a record price. Pathirana made his IPL debut in 2022 but really came into his own in 2023, becoming a key weapon for Chennai Super Kings with 19 wickets. He maintained his form the following year, scoring 13 goals in just six matches. After being retained by CSK for the 2025 season, Pathirana struggled to replicate that impact, taking only 13 wickets in 12 games, while at an economy rate of 10.14. CSK eventually released him before the IPL 2026 auction and notably did not bid for him.
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Commenting on the hefty price tag, Srikkanth described Pathiran as a hit-and-miss bowler and praised KKR’s decision to also secure Mustafizur Rahman as a smart back-up option. “Pathirana is a huge risk. He is a dead end. But KKR made a smart move by buying Mustafizur Rahman as well. Pathirana has backup with Mustafizur. With Bravo’s presence, Pathirana was expected to go to KKR. But I was surprised by his price and the number of teams looking for him on his YouTube channel,” Srikkanth. Srikkanth went on to question the aggressive bid for Pathiran, drawing comparisons with other high-profile players struggling after a single disappointing season such as Jake Fraser-McGurk and Devon Conway. “LSG went up to 18 million for him. Is he that big of a bowler to go for 18 million? His performance was very ordinary in the last season of the IPL. A lot of players get dropped after one bad season. Someone like Fraser-McGurk doesn’t do well for one season and he’s not even on the scene. Same with Devon Conway,” he added.
