Matheesha Pathirana suffered from hamstring injury in T20 World Cup 2026.
Matheesha Pathirana suffered a hamstring injury during the Sri Lanka vs Australia T20 World Cup 2026 clash in Colombo on February 16. After bowling just four balls in the third over of the first innings, the pacer left the field. This may have raised concerns for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who acquired the former CSK pacer for INR 18 crore at the IPL 2026 mini auction last December.
Matheesha Pathirana Injury Update
The recovery time for hamstring injuries depends on their severity. Minor strains heal in a couple of weeks, while Grade 2 and 3 can take about four to 12 weeks. With the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 expected to begin in about four weeks from now (mid or end of March), there are chances that Matheesha Pathirana could be ruled out of the tournament. After representing the Chennai Super Kings, this would be his maiden season with the Knight Riders. So far in four IPL seasons, he has 47 wickets at an economy rate of 8.68, including a four-wicket haul.
Let’s look at three overseas players KKR can look to acquire as Pathirana’s replacement in IPL 2026.
The Zimbabwe pacer would be an ideal fit for the Kolkata Knight Riders. From two matches in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, he has already scalped seven wickets. Muzarabani returned with figures of 4-1-16-3 against Oman, followed by 4-0-17-4 against Australia. He bagged the Player of the Match award for scalping the wickets of Josh Inglis, his former RCB teammate Tim David, Matt Renshaw, and Adam Zampa.
The 29-year-old is placed fourth on the list of leading wicket-takers in the ongoing ICC event, with a mind-boggling economy of 4.12 in T20 cricket. His efforts in the last match also helped Zimbabwe script a surprise win against Australia and advance to the Super 8, while kicking out their opponent. Though Blessing Muzarabani was called up by RCB last season, he is yet to play his debut IPL match.
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The West Indies pacer may not be in red-hot form currently, but he is a suitable candidate for KKR, especially because of PSL 2025. Alzarri Joseph has IPL experience playing with Mumbai Indians (in 2019), Gujarat Titans (in 2022, 2023), and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (in 2024). Overall, the 29-year-old has 21 wickets at a high economy of 9.55. The pacer is remembered for his iconic six-wicket haul in his debut season.
Speaking about his recent stats, the St Lucia Kings bowler picked four wickets in six games in the CPL 2025. In the latest Pakistan Super League edition, he took 12 wickets in eight games at an economy of 8.80. Though expensive, the numbers denote his efficiency in the subcontinent.
The Australia pacer also comes on the back of IPL experience with Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, taking 19 wickets in just three seasons. Riley Meredith was the second-highest wicket-taker for Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League 2025-26. He picked up 14 wickets from 12 matches, however, his economy soared close to 10.
The 29-year-old can also smash the ball if needed. Meredith may not be an ideal candidate for KKR, but the team might be running out of options as we move closer to the IPL 2026.
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