Sri Lanka’s fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana has been acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the IPL 2026 season. Pathirana, who was once considered one of the most promising young death bowlers, had recently raised concerns because he was not as dominant as he used to be a few years back due to a change in his action affecting his rhythm and consistency.
Nevertheless, KKR, with the largest auction budget of INR 64.3 crore, seized the opportunity, as the CSK release of Pathirana before the auction was unexpected, given his unusual slingy action, and he has a proven record of wicket-taking.
KKR secures Matheesha Pathirana for Rs 18 crore
Matheesha Pathirana has already had a very good impact on the IPL by taking 47 wickets in 32 matches and now he will lead a very good all-Asian pace attack for KKR with Mustafizur Rahman as a backup. Along with Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, and Kartik Tyagi, there is a strong Indian fast-bowling depth, but Cameron Green, who is another major signing for the Men in Purple, gives fast-bowling support and balance with bat and ball.
KKR has assembled a well-rounded squad at the auction with a healthy purse and they have secured Finn Allen, Rahul Tripathi, and Tim Seifert along with Green, Mustafizur, and Pathirana. The franchise may even go for a middle-order player in the second accelerated round, but considering their resources, they have turned out a competitive and versatile unit that can go deep into IPL 2026.
KKR’s auction picks for IPL 2026: Cameron Green – INR 25.2 crore, Tejasvi Singh – INR 3 crore, Matheesha Pathirana – INR 18 crore, Kartik Tyagi – INR 30 Lakh, Prashant Solanki – INR 30 Lakh (KKR), Rahul Tripathi – INR 75 Lakh, Tim Seifert – INR 1.5 crore, Mustafizur Rahman – INR 9.2 crore, Sarthak Ranjan – INR 30 Lakh, Daksh Kamra – INR 30 Lakh
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
