Sri Lankan cricketers Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana remain pending fitness clearance from the SLC following World Cup injuries. Both require medical NOCs to participate in IPL 2026. Their participation hinges on successfully clearing mandatory fitness tests set by the cricket board.
Sri Lanka’s fitness bureaucracy is needlessly holding two world-class bowlers hostage. Hasaranga and Pathirana’s IPL franchises have already invested heavily in these players—franchise management should carry weight alongside SLC’s medical caution. The real issue: SLC’s rigid gatekeeping creates leverage problems for IPL teams scrambling to finalize squads. Conditional clearances would serve everyone better. Right now, rigid timelines risk wasting franchise resources and player momentum.
Matheesha Pathirana has resumed bowling in nets, signaling his potential return to Kolkata Knight Riders this IPL season. The Sri Lankan pacer, who KKR acquired for ₹18 crore, had been sidelined due to injury. His recovery offers significant relief to the franchise’s bowling department ahead of the tournament’s lift-off.
KKR’s ₹18 crore gamble on Pathirana finally pays dividends. The Sri Lankan pacer’s net return matters because their pace attack hemorrhaged wickets last season—Varun Chakravarty alone can’t stabilize a leaky bowling unit. Pathirana’s recovery timing is crucial: he slots into the death-overs slot KKR desperately needs before auction deadline shifts force compromise buys. If he stays fit, KKR transforms from pretenders to title contenders. The franchise has no margin for injury relapse.
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