Matheesha Pathirana, the Sri Lankan pacer, who was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the auction for INR 18 crore, is yet to take the field for the three-time champions in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. At first, the speedster was injured and had to wait for clearance from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). The No-Objection Certificate has been issued, but no one knows when the 23-year-old will join the franchise or how soon he can take the field, as the franchise is clearly struggling.
Ahead of the match against the Gujarat Titans, which KKR eventually lost by five wickets, the KKR spokesperson said that Pathirana has indeed received the NOC but is yet to link up with the squad due to logistical reasons.
After the fixture between KKR and the Gujarat Titans, former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull tore into the franchise for not being transparent enough and for giving rise to more and more speculation.
“You don’t have to tell the whole truth, but just tell something partially and provide some sort of explanation. It kind of leaves you alone; there is no social media speculation, and there is no speculation from us,” said Doull on Cricbuzz.
“We are wondering if he has been picked up in the auction, we know he’s on his way, or he’s here. Logistical reasons? What? Can’t someone find the car key to get him in the car, or is there no seat on the bus for him? We can only laugh about it because we aren’t told. We just want to know when he can be available,” he added.
‘Every team problem’
The former Kiwi pacer then further added that lack of transparency is not just down to KKR as every IPL franchise suffers from the same problem, saying the social media speculation would stop if fans get timely and necessary updates.
“That’s what you always do. It’s not just KKR, it’s every team in this league. They hide things. We need to make assumptions. The franchises hide behind things, thinking it’s for the side’s benefit. It’s not. That’s where all the speculation comes from. I said it on the air during the last game, just be open, put out a message on social media. These are the reasons,” said Doull.
“I don’t really want to see your players eating cake or having coffee. I would rather know who is available and who is not available. Just be open, some transparency. If you are open and honest about things, you will get some leeway, and people will go, ‘Oh, that’s a real shame,” he added.
KKR suffered their fifth defeat of the IPL 2026 season on Friday after losing to Gujarat Titans by five wickets. The three time champions continue to remain at the bottom of the points and will next take on the Rajasthan Royals in an afternoon game on Sunday, April 19.
