The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have got the news they were badly waiting for, and it could turn into a painful reminder for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the IPL 2026, starting on March 28.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had released Matheesha Pathirana after his poor 2025 season, and now Nathan Ellis is ruled out of the upcoming season. They are now in dire need of a death-over specialist. Well, KKR invested heavily in Pathirana, and now he is set to repay the faith.
CSK left worried after releasing Matheesha Pathirana
The Sri Lankan speedster was one of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ biggest buys for the season. The franchise spent a massive Rs 18 crore on Pathirana, but his fitness left the camp worried.
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The Sri Lankan sensation had picked up a hamstring injury during the T20 World Cup 2026 clash against Australia, and that ruled him out of the rest of the tournament.
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That injury became a major headache not only for Sri Lanka but also for KKR, as Harshit Rana was already injured, so losing a bowler like Pathirana would have been a massive blow for the three-time champions.
KKR get massive Pathirana boost before IPL 2026
Luckily, Pathirana is now fit for IPL 2026, giving the Kolkata Knight Riders a huge boost just before the start of the new season.
As reported by the New Indian Express, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has cleared Pathirana to take part in the upcoming IPL 2026 after he completed his recovery process. He has also received the NOC to play in the world’s biggest T20 league, bringing serious relief to the KKR camp.
He is fit and ready to join the IPL: SLC
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) secretary Bandula Dissanayake has confirmed that Pathirana has got the NOC from the board. He also said the pacer is fit for the action after completing his rehabilitation program. However, the final call will be taken by the franchise.
Bandula Dissanayake was quoted as saying by PTI: “As far as I know, he’s fit, and we have given him NOC to participate in the IPL; that’s all I know at this point in time. He has completed rehab, and he is fit. But the franchise will be tasked with assessing his readiness. At the moment we don’t know anything about that. As far as we know, he is fit and ready to join the IPL.”
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Abhinav Mukund questions Chennai Super Kings’ call on Matheesha Pathirana
Meanwhile, former India batter Abhinav Mukund has raised questions over Chennai Super Kings releasing Matheesha Pathirana before the IPL 2026 auction. Mukund feels CSK may regret this move because the team now does not have enough bowlers to deliver in the death overs.
At the IPL 2026 auction, CSK bought Matt Henry, Akeal Hosein, Zak Foulkes, and Rahul Chahar. Before the auction, they had already retained Nathan Ellis, Khaleel Ahmed, and Mukesh Choudhary. But Ellis has now been ruled out of IPL 2026 due to a hamstring injury, which has made things worse for CSK.
Pathirana’s absence could hurt CSK badly
Mukund believes that Henry and Hosein are mainly powerplay bowlers, and then Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, and Noor Ahmad are also the new ball options, but CSK doesn’t have the defensive bowlers, especially for the death overs. And that is why Mukund feels releasing Pathirana was a shocking call and his absence could hurt them badly in IPL 2026.
He pointed out, “I felt they were a little bit confused in the auction about what type of bowler they needed. You are essentially playing three bowlers every single game, which is why, for me, Pathirana’s release felt a little bit shocking. They’ve invested so much in Pathirana.”