Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana, who was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the auction for INR 18 crore, is yet to take the field for the three-time champions in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Initially, the speedster was injured and had to wait for clearance from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). The No Objection Certificate has been issued, but no one knows when the 23-year-old will join the franchise or how soon he will be able to take the field, as the franchise is clearly struggling.
Ahead of the match against the Gujarat Titans, which KKR eventually lost by five wickets, the KKR spokesperson said that Pathirana had indeed received the NOC but is yet to join the team due to logistical reasons.
After the match between KKR and the Gujarat Titans, former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull lashed out at the franchise for not being transparent enough and giving rise to more and more speculations.
“You don’t need to tell the whole truth, but just tell something partially and provide some kind of explanation. That leaves you alone; there is no speculation on social media and there is no speculation on our part,” Doull said on Cricbuzz.
“We’re wondering if it’s been picked up at the auction, do we know it’s on the way or is it here? Logistical reasons? What? Someone can’t find the car key to put it in the car or there’s no seat on the bus for it? We can only laugh at it because they don’t tell us. We just want to know when it might be available,” he added.
‘Every team problem’
The former Kiwi Pacer then added that the lack of transparency is not just due to KKR as all IPL franchises suffer from the same problem, and said that speculation on social media would stop if fans were given timely and necessary updates.
“That’s what you always do. It’s not just KKR, it’s every team in this league. They hide things. We need to make assumptions. Franchises hide behind things, thinking it’s for the benefit of the team. It’s not. That’s where all the speculation comes from. I said it on air during the last game, just be open, post a message on social media. These are the reasons,” Doull said.
“I don’t really want to see your players eating cake or drinking coffee. I’d rather know who’s available and who’s not. Just be open, some transparency. If you’re open and honest about things, you’ll have some leeway and people will say, ‘Oh, that’s a real shame,'” he added.
KKR suffered their fifth defeat of the IPL 2026 season on Friday after losing to Gujarat Titans by five wickets. The three-time champions remain at the bottom of the standings and will face Rajasthan Royals in an afternoon match on Sunday, April 19.