Matheesha Pathirana likely to play KKR's first IPL 2026 opener vs SRH; NOC to be given next week

Matheesha Pathirana is very likely to be available for Kolkata Knight Riders’ opening IPL 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The pacer had earlier picked up a hamstring injury during the T20 World Cup, which ruled him out of the tournament and raised doubts over his IPL participation. However, the 23-year-old has since regained fitness and is now set to don the purple and yellow jersey.

However, Pathirana is yet to receive formal clearance from SLC. Revsportz reported that those tracking his recovery indicated that approval could come between March 25 and 27, just



before the tournament begins. The process hinges on him meeting specific fitness benchmarks, particularly the ability to bowl a designated number of overs at full intensity.

Speculation over a potential No Objection Certificate issue has surfaced online, but the situation remains straightforward. Unlike the media report, Pathirana himself hasn’t submitted an application for the NOC so far. The procedure will only be initiated once he satisfies all fitness requirements set by the national board. Once those conditions are met, the paperwork is expected to be processed quickly.