Kolkata Knight Riders made one of the biggest signings of the IPL 2026 auction by spending ₹18 crore on Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana. However, nine matches into the season, the young fast bowler is still waiting to make his debut as KKR continue to fight to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Ahead of Friday’s crucial clash against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo opened up on Pathirana’s recovery and possible return to action. According to Bravo, the Sri Lankan pacer is close to regaining fitness, but the franchise does not want to rush him back because of the nature of his injury.
“He is very close to playing, but we do not want to rush him because of the nature of his injury. We all want to see him back, but timing is important. It is great to have someone of his quality around the group again,” Dwayne Bravo told reporters.
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Pathirana’s absence, combined with Indian pacer Harshit Rana being ruled out, has weakened KKR’s pace attack throughout the tournament. Despite those setbacks, the defending champions have managed to revive their campaign after a difficult beginning to IPL 2026.
KKR head into the contest against DC with momentum on their side after winning their last three matches. The turnaround comes after they failed to win any of their opening six games, leaving them with no margin for error in the playoff race. Bravo insisted that the team is not overly focused on the points table and is instead concentrating on taking one game at a time.
“We are not worrying too much about the table. The message from the coaches is to treat every game like it’s our last and focus on winning our remaining matches, and let destiny take care of the rest,” Dwayne Bravo said.
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The former all-rounder also backed Varun Chakravarthy, who has rediscovered form after a slow start to the season. “In sport, everything is very result-oriented and emotional. Varun is a world-class spinner and had just come from a hectic World Cup. Sometimes, a break at the right time is important,” Bravo added.
After going wicketless in his opening three matches, Varun has bounced back strongly with 10 wickets in his next four games, becoming a key figure in KKR’s resurgence.
