The Sri Lankan pacer, Matheesha Pathirana, has been given NOC by the Sri Lanka Cricket Board to play for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. Pathirana was initially denied NOC by the board as he had injury concerns in the hamstrings, which had occurred during the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The board made sure that Matheesha Pathirana passed all fitness tests before granting him an NOC to play the IPL.

The Kolkata Knight Riders have got a timely addition to their bowling unit with the return of Matheesha Pathirana. The side already missed their key bowlers in the initial stages of the game, and it was clearly reflected in the results of the game. KKR will be taking on the Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on 14th April, and they will be feeling a lot more confident going into the game.

 

Matheesha Pathirana’s return adds firepower as KKR eye turnaround against CSK

The Kolkata Knight Riders have gotten off to a terrible start this season as they are the only team in this season of the IPL who haven’t been able to win a game. They sit at the bottom of the table in the tournament and will be hoping that there will be a twist in the tale. Their batting unit has positives to look upon, as Ajinkya Rahane has been able to score runs with a good strike rate, and young Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been consistent with his performances.

Finn Allen has destructive power to give his team a thumping start, but he will have to be more consistent as KKR needs their top-order to fire. Cameron Green has shown signs of improvement as he has taken the game deep and is trying to spend time at the crease to regain his batting form. Rovman Powell played an explosive knock in the previous innings to get his side to a decent total, while Rinku Singh is still in search of his lost form.

Their pace bowling unit looked promising after the 2026 IPL auction with the likes of Harshit Rana, Akash Deep, Mustafizur, Vaibhav Arora and Matheesha Pathirana. However, injury concerns have handicapped their bowling unit with many unavailable bowlers. The addition of Matheesha Pathirana would give them an experienced foreign seamer in the IPL, which is something they have been lacking. The question would also be around which foreign player would be sacrificed to play Pathirana, as this bowling unit needs some firepower. They would be forced to sit Cameron Green out as his performance has been far from satisfactory, especially with the heavy price tag. Matheesha Pathirana will be playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders for the first time, and he will be hopeful that he can make a strong impact in the side.

As the Kolkata Knight Riders gear up to take on the Chennai Super Kings away from home, they will be confident that they can win their first game of the season. CSK have lost 6 out of their previous 7 home matches, and with an efficient spin bowling unit, they could exploit the conditions. It would be interesting to see who comes out on top as both teams are fighting for recovery.