Kolkata Knight Riders head into IPL 2026 with a mounting bowling crisis, with head coach Abhishek Nayar confirming that the franchise is yet to find a replacement for injured seamer Harshit Rana. Meanwhile, one of their big-money signings, Matheesha Pathirana, is expected to be unavailable until mid-April at the earliest.
Rana, one of KKR’s most important bowlers over the past two seasons, including their championship campaign, is recovering from a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee that required surgery. The injury sustained during the FIFA World Cup T20 warm-up match against South Africa in February ruled him out of the competition. start of season with no confirmed return date.
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“It’s a big blow because Harshit Rana has been an integral part of the team for the last couple of seasons,” Nayar said at a press conference mediated by JioStar.
“We’ve looked at a few pitchers over the last few days. We’re trying to evaluate with the help of our leadership group who fits the bill and who best fills that role. We haven’t made a decision at this point, but hopefully soon we’ll be able to identify someone who we think can make a difference to the team.”
Nayar added that an announcement is expected within daysmost likely before the team leaves for Mumbai on March 25, ahead of their opening match against Mumbai Indians on March 29.
Pathirana available mid April
Rana’s situation is compounded by the uncertainty surrounding Pathirana He bought the Sri Lankan slinger for Rs 18 crore before the season. Pathirana suffered a muscle strain during his stint at the T20 World Cup and was subsequently ruled out of the tournament altogether.
Sri Lanka Cricket has confirmed, as reported by PTI, that the paceman has completed rehabilitation from a calf strain sustained during the T20 World Cup and has been given a no-objection certificate to participate in the IPL. However, Nayar indicated that the franchise does not expect the bowler to be fully fit until mid-April.
“The last communication we’ve had is that hopefully he’ll be fit sometime in mid-April,” Nayar said. “So he’s looking for it now.”
Sri Lanka Cricket is yet to grant Matheesh Pathirana a No-Objection Certificate to participate in the IPL, with the pacer still having to undergo a physical fitness test before being cleared to join the Kolkata Knight Riders.
KKR Scramble For Cover
With limited pace resources, KKR have already made one forced change and in Zimbabwe quickly blessed Muzarabani as a replacement for left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman, who was released on BCCI directive earlier this year.
KKR’s New Zealand trio of Finn Allen, Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra were set to join the camp later in the week and offered a much-needed boost. However, Nayar and his coaching staff face a big challenge in putting together a balanced attack before the start of the season as their pace attack is in disarray.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
20 March 2026 19:04 IST
