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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) went into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction with the biggest purse of Rs 64.30 crore and spent nearly 70 percent of their purse on two players - Cameron Green and Matheesha Pathirana. KKR broke the bank to sign Australia all-rounder Green for a whopping Rs 25.20 crore, they spent Rs 18 crore to rope in Sri Lanka pacer Pathirana.
Both buys from the three-time champions were on the expected lines as they were touted to go for the big names with the highest purse. While KKR going all out for Green didn't come as a major surprise, their intense pursuit of Pathirana turned heads. The speedster, known for his ability to nail perfect Yorkers at over 140kph consistently, became the most expensive Sri Lankan player in IPL history.
Pathirana was released by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the IPL 2026 auction after a dismal campaign for the five-time champions last season. Once touted by many as CSK's future superstar, Pathirana was released by the franchise after taking 13 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of over 10 in IPL 2025.
CSK are a franchise known for sticking to their players, thus it came as a big surprise when they decided to let go of Pathirana ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. While a drop in form was quite evident in the last two seasons, Pathirana's dubious injury record also might have played a role in CSK's decision.
The Sri Lanka pacer missed a majority of IPL 2024 due to injury and was injured once again last season. Known as 'Baby Malinga' for his slingy action, Pathirana's unique action makes him susceptible to injuries. His changed bowling action also reportedly convinced the CSK team management that he might not be a good long-term investment for the franchise.
Kolkata Knight Riders spent a whopping Rs 18 crore to buy Pathirana at the IPL 2026 auction to strengthen their pace department. The Sri Lanka pacer is likely to be their death-overs specialist for IPL 2026. However, if his numbers from IPL 2025 are anything to go by, Pathirana has been far from consistent in the death and has been taken for runs.
While he has the ability to nail consistent yorkers, his wayward line and length reduce his efficiency by a significant margin. Pathirana has also failed to nail his spot in Sri Lanka's T20I squad and has not managed to replicate his IPL success in other franchise leagues around the world.
Reacting to KKR's decision to buy Pathirana for a huge sum, former India cricketer Kris Srikanth termed the move a huge risk. Srikanth labelled Pathirana as a 'hit and a miss' bowler, citing his record from the last two seasons in the IPL. However, he lauded KKR for buying Mustafizur Rahman as a backup for him.
"Pathirana is a huge risk. He's a hit-and-miss bowler. But KKR made a smart move by buying Mustafizur Rahman also. They've got a backup for Pathirana with Mustafizur. It was expected that with Bravo's presence, Pathirana would go to KKR. But I was surprised at his price and the number of teams that went for him," said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.
"LSG kept going for him until 18 crores. Is he such a big bowler to go for 18 crores? His performance was very ordinary in the last IPL season. Many players get excluded after one bad season. Someone like Fraser McGurk didn't do well one season, and he's not even in the scene. Same with Devon Conway," he added.
It remains to be seen if Pathirana can repay the faith shown in him by the KKR management in the upcoming season. He is set to reunite with former CSK bowling coach Dwayne Bravo at the franchise, which might help him rediscover his form. However, Pathirana will have to remain injury-free throughout the season to make an impact for KKR.
