Matheesha Pathirana has been sidelined with a calf injury sustained during the T20 World Cup 2026 and his absence is proving costly for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026. Without a reliable strike bowler, KKR have struggled to make breakthroughs, especially at crucial phases of the innings.
Senior options like Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy have found it difficult to deliver consistent wickets, leaving the side short of impact in both the powerplay and death overs. The team’s bowling unit has lacked bite and Pathirana’s unavailability has only deepened that concern, with no clear replacement stepping up to fill the void.
In the match against Gujarat Titans, they particularly missed his service as he could have tightened the grip in the final overs and that could have done the trick for KKR. However, the good news for the Ajinkya Rahane-led side is that Pathirana is only days away, as he will join the franchise on April 19. He is also expected to feature on the same day against Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens.
KKR suffer five-wicket defeat to GT
Against Gujarat, KKR had a very poor start to the match, as Rahane departed for a golden duck. Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Tim Seifert soon followed suit, leaving KKR battling at 32/3. Rovman Powell and Cameron Green took over the business since then, stitching a 55-run partnership to set the tone. However, once Rovman departed, nothing worked for the team, as wickets fell like a house of cards. Green proved to be the one-man army, scoring 79 runs as KKR posted 180.
In the second innings, GT captain Shubman Gill launched a scathing attack, scoring 86 runs off 50 balls. He dictated the show, but after he departed, things slowed down drastically and that invited KKR back into the contest. However, Gujarat were managed to get over the line and win by five wickets in the final over of the match.
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