Matheesha Pathirana goes to KKR for INR 18 crore; Have the eastern franchise made the right move?

Was spending ₹18 crore on Matheesha Pathirana the right call? A closer look at what he brings to KKR’s bowling attack.

When Chennai Super Kings (CSK) released their star death-overs specialist, Matheesha Pathirana, ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, several eyebrows were raised. Many believed that he would perhaps be back to his former franchise at a lower price. But Chennai didn’t lift their paddle even for once as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) signed the Sri Lankan pacer for INR 18 crore.

Pathirana went through a decent yet struggling IPL 2025, where he picked up only 13 wickets in 12 innings at an average of over 32, with an economy rate of 10.13. CSK management wasn’t happy with the release point of Pathirana, as they reckoned that it was changed from the national side.

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KKR experience massive bidding war for Matheesha Pathirana
The Delhi Capitals (DC) opened the bidding at the base price of INR 2 crore. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) joined the battle and kept fighting for the pacer till the bidding reached INR 15.80 crore. This just showed how much they wanted the slingy-actioned bowler.

Despite the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi being a relatively small venue, Pathirana’s slower deliveries could have proved effective on that surface. In addition, the presence of Mitchell Starc already provides control inside the powerplay. On the larger dimensions of the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, Pathirana could have exploited the size of the ground to deceive batters even more effectively. However, none of those scenarios will now come to fruition.

Kolkata lifted their paddle at INR 16 crore and successfully signed the player in just six bids till they reached the massive price of INR 18 crore. The Sri Lankan star will now feature for the 2024 champions. Kolkata struggled in the death overs last year, but they hope to get the issue sorted in the new season.

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Matheesha Pathirana expected to develop CSK’s death overs’ bowling
Death overs can change the momentum of the game quite regularly in the shortest format. If teams leak runs in the last four overs, all the good work of the first 16 overs can easily be wasted.

In the previous season, Kolkata were without Mitchell Starc’s service, forcing them to rely on Andre Russell and Harshit Rana at the death – a strategy that failed to deliver consistent results. They also held back a couple of overs from Varun Chakravarthy for the final five overs, a move that left them short of wicket-taking options during the middle phase of the innings.

It will be interesting to see how Kolkata use their new signing, Pathirana, for the upcoming season. Under MS Dhoni and even Ruturaj Gaikwad in CSK, the Sri Lankan pacer used to bowl his four overs in the last half of the innings. Will Kolkata go forward with the same tactic?

Among all the foreign pacers available in the auction, Pathirana was the best option and was anticipated to cross the INR 15 crore mark. Just 24 hours ago, playing in the International League T20 (ILT20), he picked up 3-19 for the Sharjah Warriorz. Most of those dismissals were using his iconic slower deliveries.

Pathirana has always matured with time. He understands his field and how to counter the batters in different situations of the game. Along with his slower ball, he has the quick yorker, which can be a nightmare for the batters.

Kolkata have already signed the Australian all-rounder, Cameron Green, for a massive price of INR 25.20 crore. They also filled their opening spot with Finn Allen’s signing.

At INR 18 crore, Matheesha Pathirana represents a bold but calculated investment by Kolkata. While recent numbers raise valid questions, his proven death-overs pedigree, tactical maturity and ability to execute under pressure could be exactly what KKR have lacked in crunch moments. If managed astutely and deployed in clearly defined roles, Pathirana has the tools to justify the price tag and emerge as a decisive factor in Kolkata’s IPL 2026 campaign.

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