Matheesha Pathirana's NOC delayed by SLC, KKR's woes heighten in IPL 2026
Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana has been ruled out due to injury and is yet to bounce back into the game following the end of their T20 World Cup campaign. His return for KKR has been delayed, with an NOC awaited from the SLC.
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026, before the start of the IPL season, had ruled out many players from the 19th edition of the Indian T20 competition. Many players have been ruled out due to freak injuries, while a lot of them happened in the Lankan camp as well.
Wanindu Hasaranga, the expert spinner, has missed out on a second straight season in the IPL. He has been ruled out of IPL 2026 after being picked by LSG for a mere base price. The other player with a freak injury is the pacer Pathirana, who was the second costliest player of the mini-auction.
SLC delay Matheesha Pathirana's return for KKR
KKR have been holding its breath for the return of pacer Matheesha Pathirana. The veteran pacer was ruled out of the ICC T20 World Cup after having played just a handful of games on Sri Lanka's home grounds.
He was bought for a massive price of INR 18 crores by the Knight Riders. The recent news has claimed that the pacer would not return until the 15th or 16th of April. The SLC had announced some fitness tests for some of the athletes before a NOC could be issued.
A clearance from the SLC Sports Science and Medicine Department has been awaited, and once the fitness tests are conducted, a No Objection Certificate will be issued. He will then be eligible to join the KKR squad.
IPL Update 🚨
— DANUSHKA ARAVINDA (@DanuskaAravinda) April 2, 2026
🇱🇰⚾️ Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana ( KKR) is expected to remain unavailable until April 15 or 16, pending clearance from the SLC Sports Science and Medicine Department. #sportspavilionlk #danushkaaravinda #ipl2026 #KKR #MatheehaPathirana pic.twitter.com/PslkTXnmJ1
Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling woes were evident in their opening clash against MI
Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling woes were evident in the opening clash between the Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on the 29th of April 2026, which was the second game of the IPL 2026 season.
KKR invested a huge amount of money to strengthen their squad, and their batting department paid off significantly as they put on 220 runs in their opening game, with the skipper leading from the front.
Despite chasing such a huge target, MI batters scored with ease and chased the target effectively. The bowling deck without the likes of Matheesha Pathirana and Harshit Rana looked like a very unconvincing pack.
Sri Lankan players who have already arrived for their IPL franchises with SLC's NOC
SLC has not been holding Matheesha Pathirana's NOC without any viable reason. This decision is backed further by the idea that the other players who have been fit in the contest have already arrived to feature in the IPL.
The likes of Pathum Nissanka and Dusmantha Chameera have backed themselves and have arrived for the Delhi Capitals. Kamindu Mendis and Eshan Malinga have also squared off for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Hasaranga and Nuwah Thusara have been ruled out, while uncertainty continues to loom over Matheesha Pathirana's availability.
Subsequently, he will be required to pass a fitness test and obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) before being eligible to join the KKR squad.
— DANUSHKA ARAVINDA (@DanuskaAravinda) April 2, 2026
1. Ready to Play Clearance : 15th or 16th April
2. Fitness Test
3. No Objection Certificate (NOC)
4. Join the KKR Squad https://t.co/GMvIYQkSZI
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