Kolkata Knight Riders’ difficult IPL 2026 campaign has taken another late blow, with Matheesha Pathirana ruled out of the rest of the tournament and Karnataka wicketkeeper-batter Luvnith Sisodia brought in as his replacement.
As reported by Cricbuzz, Pathirana picked up a hamstring injury during KKR’s win over the Gujarat Titans last weekend and will not be available for their final league-stage match against the Delhi Capitals.
KKR lose Pathirana before must-win DC clash
Matheesha Pathirana’s exit comes at an awkward point for KKR, who are still alive in the playoff race but only by a narrow mathematical route. They need the Rajasthan Royals to lose to the Mumbai Indians first. Even if that result goes their way, KKR must beat Delhi Capitals by a heavy margin to move past Punjab Kings and reach the Eliminator.
Pathirana had been one of KKR’s biggest auction investments. The franchise had spent ₹18 crore on the Sri Lankan pacer, expecting him to give them a high-impact weapon at the back end of the innings. That plan never fully came together.
Pathirana’s season was delayed even before he reached the KKR camp. He had suffered a left calf injury during Sri Lanka’s Super Eight campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and was cleared to join the IPL only in mid-April. By then, KKR’s season had already moved into a critical phase, and the fast bowler had to wait for his chance.
When he finally came into the playing XII against the Gujarat Titans, the outing lasted only 1.2 overs. Pathirana walked off the field with visible discomfort in his left hamstring, cutting short what was supposed to be his first proper opportunity of the season. The injury has now ended his IPL 2026 campaign altogether.
It leaves KKR with a costly what-if. A ₹18 crore signing, brought in for specialist value, has finished the season with barely any usable match time.
Sisodia added to keep cover after Raghuvanshi’s injury
KKR have turned to Luvnith Sisodia, a left-handed wicketkeeper-batter from Karnataka, as the replacement. Sisodia has played 13 T20s for Karnataka but is yet to make his IPL debut.
His addition is not a like-for-like replacement in skill type. Pathirana was a death-overs fast bowler. Sisodia gives KKR wicketkeeping and batting cover. That makes the move more about squad availability than tactical equivalence, especially after Angkrish Raghuvanshi was ruled out with a concussion and a finger fracture.
Sisodia has previously been part of both Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR had also signed him at the 2025 mega auction, so this is not an unfamiliar name inside the setup.
For KKR, the timing is the real problem. Their season now comes down to a result elsewhere and a massive performance against the Delhi Capitals. They need runs, net run rate, selection clarity and a bit of help from the Mumbai Indians. Pathirana’s injury removes one option from a squad that has already had to deal with disruptions through the campaign.
The replacement signing keeps their squad stocked for the final league match, but the larger story remains Pathirana’s lost season. KKR paid premium money for a bowler who was expected to influence the sharpest overs of tight matches. Instead, injuries restricted him to a brief appearance before the tournament moved beyond his reach.
