Everything was going perfectly until Pathirana grabbed his leg suddenly in Pallekele. The Sri Lankan speedster went down after bowling just three balls to Mitchell Marsh. Matheesha Pathirana ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026 immediately due to a muscle strain.
Team physios sprinted onto the field seeing him collapse in agony right away. Matheesha Pathirana ruled out, so Dasun Shanaka had to finish that incomplete over. The young pacer hobbled off the ground looking absolutely devastated by this injury.
Doctors initially thought it was a hamstring, but the muscle strain was confirmed later on. Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets anyway but lost their most dangerous bowler. The T20 World Cup 2026 continues without Pathirana’s lethal slingshot action unfortunately.
Dilshan Madushanka Gets Call-Up
ICC Event Technical Committee officially approved Dilshan Madushanka as Pathirana’s replacement. The left-arm seamer joins Sri Lanka’s squad for the remaining tournament Matches. Madushanka brings different skills compared to Pathirana’s unique slingshot action though.
Matheesha Pathirana ruled out means Sri Lanka loses their most threatening pace weapon. He played against Ireland and Oman before the Australia game went wrong. That Australia match became his last T20 World Cup 2026 appearance unfortunately.
KKR Faces Major Concerns
Kolkata Knight Riders spent Rs 18 crore buying Pathirana at the IPL auction. That massive investment now looks extremely risky with IPL 2026 approaching fast. KKR already released Mustafizur Rahman creating pace bowling gaps in their lineup.
Harshit Rana’s IPL 2026 availability also remains uncertain currently for various reasons. KKR’s pace attack suddenly looks extremely thin heading into the new season. Losing Pathirana for potentially the entire IPL 2026 would hurt them badly.
The 23-year-old’s lethal slingshot action makes him irreplaceable in modern T20 cricket. KKR built their bowling plan around having him for vital death overs. His left leg muscle strain raises serious doubts about IPL 2026 participation.
Recovery Timeline Unknown
Nobody knows how long Matheesha Pathirana needs for full rehab currently. Muscle strains typically take weeks or sometimes months to heal properly. KKR desperately hopes he heals before IPL 2026 starts in late March.
