Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Janhavi Mehta explained he logic behind spending a whooping Rs 18 crore for Matheesha Pathirana in the IPL 2026 auction. The Sri Lankan pacer, who was retained by CSK for Rs 13 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, was released after a sub-par performance in the previous season. While CSK showed no interest in the pacer in the mini-auction, it was KKR who eventually signed the star for a mammoth amount.
KKR reveal reason behind Pathirana signing
In an interview with MyKhel, the KKR co-owner pointed out that Pathirana was required for the team as the side felt the lack of a death over bowler in the previous edition of the tournament. She claimed that the three-time champions went after two overseas players who stood out in the auction – Pathirana and Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman. She claimed that the overseas duo were the only pacers who excelled in bowling in the death overs, adding that the Sri Lankan was a reliable bowler.
“I think one of the key gaps we identified last year was the lack of an experienced death bowler, and it cost us in several crucial situations. That was something we were all keen to address. Looking at the list of fast bowlers in the auction, two names stood out as ideal for plugging that hole – Pathirana, with his unique action, yorker accuracy, and pace, and Mustafizur Rahman,” the KKR co-owner said.
Pathirana fared rather poorly in IPL 2025, managing to pick up 13 wickets in 12 matches, at an economy rate over 10. Earlier during the season, head coach Stephen Fleming had expressed concerns over the drop in impact that the pacer could make and had accused the Sri Lanka Cricket board of tampering with his action, leading to the result.
“What we really needed was someone who could excel at death overs. When there’s such limited supply, only Pathirana and Mustafizur truly fit that proven IPL profile with death bowling expertise. Everyone wants a reliable death bowler, so we knew it would be around 15-16 crores. We pushed a bit harder because he was a top priority, stretching to 18 crores, and we managed to secure him. We’re thrilled to have him on board,” the KKR co-owner added.
Pathirana made his IPL debut with CSK back in 2022. His best season came in 2023 – the year the team won their 5th title – where he picked up 19 wickets in 12 matches. In IPL 2024, he was forced to exit the tournament halfway after featuring in just 6 games.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Kishan's hundred goes waste, Rohit-Kohli shine on VHT return & Suryavanshi breaks another record
Top Stories
