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Matheesha Pathirana Cleared to Join KKR, Boosts IPL 2026 Bowling Attack

Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana has been granted a No-Objection Certificate by Sri Lanka Cricket after passing a fitness test, clearing him to join the Kolkata Knight Riders. He is expected to link up with the IPL team on April 17 and could be available for selection shortly after. Pathirana had been sidelined with a calf strain sustained during the T20 World Cup. In related IPL action, the Lucknow Super Giants recently defeated KKR in a last-ball thriller.

Key Points: Pathirana Gets NOC, Set to Join KKR for IPL 2026

  • Pathirana cleared fitness test
  • To join KKR on April 17
  • Recovered from calf strain
  • LSG beat KKR in last-ball thriller
2 min read

Matheesha Pathirana granted NOC by SLC, speedster to join KKR soon

Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana cleared fitness test, granted NOC to join Kolkata Knight Riders for the remainder of IPL 2026 season.

"Pathirana's arrival will add depth to KKR's pace arsenal - Report"

Colombo, April 12

Right-arm pacer Matheesha Pathirana has been granted a No-Objection Certificate by the Sri Lanka Cricket after he cleared the mandatory fitness test, according to ESPNcricinfo.

The 23-year-old will link up with three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 tournament. During last year's IPL auction, the Sri Lankan speedster was snapped up for a whopping price of Rs 18 crore.

According to the report, Pathirana has recovered from his injury, and he is likely to join the three-time champions on April 17. It is expected that Pathirana will be available for selection on April 19 at home against the Rajasthan Royals once he is also declared fit by the KKR medical team.

Earlier, Pathirana had suffered a calf strain during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. Since then, he has been out of action and also missed the KKR's first four games in the ongoing IPL 2026.

Pathirana's arrival will add depth to KKR's pace arsenal and provide captaincy options in high-pressure death overs, where his unique bowling style has often proven effective.

Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants edged past Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets in a last-ball thriller at Eden Gardens, successfully chasing 182 in IPL 2026. Half-centuries from Ayush Badoni (54) and Mukul Choudhary (54*) anchored the chase, with Choudhary's explosive finishing sealing the win in the final over.

According to CricViz, Mukul Choudhary and Avesh Khan's unbeaten 54-run stand was also the highest for the 8th wicket or lower in a successful IPL chase.

In a unique match-winning effort, Mukul scored 52 of those runs, while Avesh played his part with 1*(3) at the other end. Earlier, KKR posted 181/4 riding on contributions from Ajinkya Rahane (41), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (45), and a late push by Rovman Powell and Cameron Green. Despite some tight spells from KKR bowlers, LSG held their nerve.

Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 181/4 in 20 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 41, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 45, Rovman Powell 39*; Manimaran Siddharth 1/34) lost to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) 182/7 in 20 overs (Mukul Choudhary 54*, Ayush Badoni 54; Anukul Roy 2/32, Vaibhav Arora 2/38) by 3 wickets.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a neutral fan, it's great to see top international talent available. Hope he stays fit. That last match was incredible though - Mukul Choudhary's innings was pure clutch! What a finish.
V
Vikram M
Rs 18 crore is a huge investment. Hope he justifies the price tag. Our bowling looked a bit toothless in the death against LSG. Anukul Roy bowled well, but we need that X-factor. Pathirana can be the difference.
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Priya S
Good for the tournament's competitiveness. But honestly, still recovering from that loss! Ayush Badoni and Mukul Choudhary were brilliant. Our boys fought hard. On to the next one with a stronger squad. 💜
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Rohit P
SLC took their sweet time with the NOC, as usual. Glad it's sorted. His fitness is key though - calf strains can be tricky. KKR medical team needs to be 100% sure before throwing him into the deep end.
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Michael C
Interesting addition. His unique action does create problems. But let's not forget the core issue from the last game - the middle order batting. Rahane and Raghuvanshi did well, but we needed 10-15 more runs on that pitch.

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