Matheesha Pathirana is expected to join the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad before the Rajasthan Royals (RR) match on April 19. The Sri Lankan fast bowler has missed 6 matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 but is likely to be available for the remainder of the season.
Although Pathirana was granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) last week by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), it’s only now that he’ll fly to Kolkata. Considering KKR are yet to win a match and they paid INR 18 crore for Pathirana at the IPL 2026 auction, it’s safe to assume that he’ll feature in the RR match if he’s fit for selection. Assuming that’s the case, who will he replace?
Matheesha Pathirana comes in, but for whom?
In reality, KKR only has two overseas spots available. Sunil Narine is their best player right now. One can’t even imagine benching him. Cameron Green, who was heavily criticised, came good against the Gujarat Titans. His 79-run knock was the biggest positive, even though KKR lost.
That leaves Tim Seifert and Rovman Powell. The latter has actually been fine. He’s batted thrice, with 27 being his lowest score. However, considering they have a few middle-order batting options, he looks the most dispensable. The former was brought in for Finn Allen in the last game. On paper, dropping him doesn’t make any sense.
But his going out actually makes more sense. You see, by dropping Seifert, one can push Narine to open. Something he’s done successfully for KKR in the past. This means the 3-time IPL champions don’t have to tinker with the batting lineup. While it’s not fair to Seifert, the same could be said about dropping Allen. But in the end, it’s about winning, and it’s wickets that win you games, and dropping a batter to accommodate a bowler is the right way to go.
Predicted KKR Playing XI vs RR
S. No.PlayerRole1Ajinkya Rahane (c)Opener2Sunil NarineBowling all-rounder3Angkrish RaghuvanshiTop-order batter4Cameron GreenAll-rounder5Rinku Singh (vc)Middle-order batter6Rovman PowellMiddle-order batter7Anukul RoyAll-rounder8Ramandeep SinghBatting all-rounder9Matheesha PathiranaRight-arm fast bowler10Vaibhav AroraRight-arm fast bowler11Kartik TyagiRight-arm fast bowlerImpact PlayerVarun ChakaravarthyMystery SpinnerPredicted KKR Playing XI vs RR: Who will Matheesha Pathirana replace, if he plays? Inside Sport India.
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