Injuries have knocked out key players from several teams before IPL 2026. But Kolkata Knight Riders, who have won the trophy three times are doing things differently. Instead of scrambling for replacements for their main fast bowlers, Harshit Rana and Mathisha Pathirana, they’ve decided to stick with what they have, at least for now. But the two cases aren’t the same in any aspect.
Harshit Rana, the Indian pacer, won’t play this season because of a knee injury. There’s been no official press release, but he just had surgery and needs time to heal. So, it’s pretty clear he won’t suit up for KKR this year. He’s been solid for them, grabbing 19 wickets in IPL 2024 and 15 in 2025. Still, KKR isn’t looking to bring anyone new in for Rana’s spot.
The KKR management thinks they’re covered in fast bowling. They’ve got Indian quicks like Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Kartik Tyagi, and Akash Deep waiting in the wings. With this lineup, KKR doesn’t see a reason to pick up another replacement.
Matheesha Pathirana’s story is a bit different. He’s injured too, but KKR paid ₹18 crore for him and hope he’ll be available at some point during the season. According to Cricbuzz, the franchise is optimistic. They think may be the Sri Lankan won’t play the whole tournament, but they haven’t given up on him. Pathirana’s manager even posted a photo of him wearing a KKR jersey, which got fans buzzing that he could be back soon.
In the IPL, injuries are basically part of the deal as teams have to adjust, and strategies change all the time. KKR’s choice to stick with their current squad instead of hunting for replacements is definitely unusual. Now, everyone’s watching to see if this gamble pays off or not.
