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Matheesha Pathirana ruled out of IPL 2026: KKR's ₹18 crore signing ends season after just 8 balls, replacement named originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Matheesha Pathirana ruled out of the IPL 2026 campaign with a hamstring injury.
- Sri Lanka pacer, bought for INR 18 crore, bowled only 8 balls for KKR.
- Luvnith Sisodia is named as Pathirana's replacement.
Matheesha Pathirana ruled out of IPL 2026: Luvnith Sisodia named as replacement
Sri Lanka's star fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana has been ruled out of action for the IPL 2026 campaign after suffering a hamstring injury.
Pathirana, who was bought for a whopping INR 18 crore at the IPL 2026 mini-auction, missed the majority of the season due to injury, which he picked up during the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The pacer finally regained fitness and appeared in KKR's 12th match of the season against Gujarat Titans earlier this month. Pathirana came in as an impact player in the second innings as KKR were defending 247 runs against GT.
Unfortunately, Pathirana had to leave the pitch as his injury relapsed after bowling just eight deliveries, where he conceded nine runs.
On the final matchday of the IPL 2026 league stage and just hours before KKR's must-win game against Delhi Capitals, it was announced that Pathirana has been ruled out of action and Luvnith Sisodia has been named as his replacement, who was signed for INR 30 lakh.
The statement read: "Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have picked Luvnith Sisodia as a replacement for the injured Matheesha Pathirana for the remainder of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Matheesha Pathirana, a right-arm pacer, is ruled out of the season due to a hamstring injury. Sisodia, a wicketkeeper-batter, was previously a part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and KKR in the IPL. Sisodia, who represents Karnataka in Domestic Cricket, has played 15 T20s and has 124 runs against his name from the same. He will join KKR for INR 30 Lakh."
MORE: KKR's IPL 2026 playoff chances detailed: Qualification scenarios, wins and points required
Matheesha Pathirana cost KKR INR 18 crore for 8 balls in IPL 2026
Pathirana proved to be a very costly investment for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2026 as they end up paying INR 18 crore for just 8 deliveries.
If we convert that to rupees per ball, then it comes to INR 2.25 crore for every delivery Pathirana bowled in the IPL 2026 season, as he could play just one game against GT and that too managed to bowl just 1.2 overs.
KKR have faced challenges in the fast bowling department even before the season started. During the auction, KKR invested heavily in overseas pacers as they spent 18 crore on Pathirana and INR 9.2 crore on Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman.
However, they dealt a major blow in January, after BCCI barred Bangladesh players from taking part in IPL 2026 due to geopolitical tensions between India and their neighbours.
Then came twin injury blows for the franchise as star Indian pacer Harshit Rana was ruled out of action on a long-term basis before the T20 World Cup 2026 and then Pathirana picked up the injury in the middle of the tournament.
KKR did replace Rahman with Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani but the tall and lanky pacer hardly made any contribution for the team in the ongoing campaign.
MORE: KKR vs DC: What Kolkata Knight Riders needs to finish top 4
The Cricket News Opinion: KKR staged an epic comeback in IPL 2026 and are now looking to miraculously make it to the playoffs
KKR had countless challenges with injuries in the pre-season and then were off to a nightmare start to the campaign, where they lost five out of their first six matches and had just one win in the first half of the season.
However, they bounced back in style in the second half, having won five out of their next six games. They continue to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot even on the final matchday of the league stage and if they beat DC at home on Sunday evening and improve their net run rate, they could qualify for the playoffs. Although for that, RR needs to lose against MI and KKR's run rate should be higher than PBKS in the end.
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