Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) assistant coach Shane Watson recently provided an update regarding the availability of Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana. Ahead of their IPL 2026 opener against Mumbai Indians (MI), the former all-rounder admitted that the franchise is currently playing a waiting game.
Kolkata Knight Riders acquired Pathirana for ₹18 crore during the mini-auction. The right-arm fast bowler is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. Sri Lanka Cricket is closely monitoring his recovery, and the fast bowler will miss the early stages of the Indian Premier League 2026 season.
During the pre-match press conference, Shane Watson said that Kolkata Knight Riders will not rush Matheesha Pathirana’s return. The assistant coach added that the franchise is following the medical advice provided by Sri Lanka Cricket to ensure his long-term fitness.
"With Pathirana, obviously, it's a waiting game at the moment. We're being guided by the Sri Lankan cricket board and we are just doing everything we can to get him over here as soon as possible," Watson said.
"We certainly would never, ever push him any earlier than he needs to. Because the last thing that we want as KKR is him playing the first game, trying to come back too early and breaking again," he added.
The Knight Riders have suffered multiple bowling injuries. Harshit Rana and Akash Deep were ruled out of the tournament, with Navdeep Saini and Saurabh Dubey joining as replacements. Blessing Muzarabani replaced Mustafizur Rahman, who was released by KKR after a BCCI directive.
That Was for the First Probably Six or Seven Years - Shane Watson
Shane Watson said that injuries are a big opportunity for domestic players to showcase their skills. The former Australian all-rounder also highlighted the growth of Indian talent in the IPL.
"The thing for me is that up until a period of time, I'd say maybe six or seven years, every time you played against an opposition team, there were normally one or two domestic players who were the weakest in the team, who, from a batting perspective, you could potentially expose," Watson stated.
"Or from a bowling perspective, you could try to suffocate that player and suffocate the team around them. That was for the first probably six or seven years of the IPL. That's not there anymore at all."
I Personally Am Not a Massive Fan Of - Shane Watson on Impact Player Rule
The KKR assistant coach criticized the Impact Player rule in the IPL. Watson stated that the rule stops the development of promising domestic all-rounders.
"A rule like the Impact Player rule, I personally am not a massive fan of, and that just comes from an all-round perspective, all-round cricketer development. Think about Ramandeep Singh here at KKR. He's a highly skilled bowler. He's got great skills, but because of this Impact Player rule, he's hardly bowled at all over the last couple of seasons."
KKR had a poor IPL 2025 season, finishing in eighth position in the table with 12 points from 14 matches. The team led by Ajinkya Rahane will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, March 29.
Also read: Jason Gillespie gives major update on Glenn Maxwell’s availability for PSL 2026
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