IPL 2026: Matheesha Pathirana gets SLC nod, to join KKR squad soon

Pacer Matheesha Pathirana has been granted an NOC by Sri Lanka Cricket to join KKR for IPL 2026 after recovering from a calf strain. In a separate match, Lucknow Super Giants defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 3 wickets in a last-ball thriller.

Pathirana to join KKR camp

Right-arm pacer Matheesha Pathirana has been granted a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) after he cleared the mandatory fitness test, according to ESPNcricinfo. The 23-year-old will link up with three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 tournament.

During last year's IPL auction, the Sri Lankan speedster was snapped up for a whopping price of Rs 18 crore. According to the report, Pathirana has recovered from his injury, and he is likely to join the three-time champions on April 17. It is expected that Pathirana will be available for selection on April 19 at home against the Rajasthan Royals once he is also declared fit by the KKR medical team.

Earlier, Pathirana had suffered a calf strain during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. Since then, he has been out of action and also missed the KKR's first four games in the ongoing IPL 2026.

Pathirana's arrival will add depth to KKR's pace arsenal and provide captaincy options in high-pressure death overs, where his unique bowling style has often proven effective.

LSG edge KKR in last-ball thriller

Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants edged past Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets in a last-ball thriller at Eden Gardens, successfully chasing 182 in IPL 2026. Half-centuries from Ayush Badoni (54) and Mukul Choudhary (54*) anchored the chase, with Choudhary's explosive finishing sealing the win in the final over.

According to CricViz, Mukul Choudhary and Avesh Khan's unbeaten 54-run stand was also the highest for the 8th wicket or lower in a successful IPL chase. In a unique match-winning effort, Mukul scored 52 of those runs, while Avesh played his part with 1*(3) at the other end.

Earlier, KKR posted 181/4 riding on contributions from Ajinkya Rahane (41), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (45), and a late push by Rovman Powell and Cameron Green. Despite some tight spells from KKR bowlers, LSG held their nerve.

Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 181/4 in 20 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 41, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 45, Rovman Powell 39*; Manimaran Siddharth 1/34) lost to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) 182/7 in 20 overs (Mukul Choudhary 54*, Ayush Badoni 54; Anukul Roy 2/32, Vaibhav Arora 2/38) by 3 wickets. (ANI)

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