KKR Race for Pace Cover as Pathirana Clearance Drags, Harshit Rana Likely to Miss Most of IPL 2026

Injuries plus pending SLC clearance leave the franchise trialling domestic quicks before the March 28–29 season start.

Overview

PTI reports no clarity on Matheesha Pathirana’s arrival, with Sri Lanka Cricket yet to clear him and tickets reportedly being booked and cancelled daily.
Pathirana suffered his injury during Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup match against Australia, casting doubt on near-term match fitness.
Harshit Rana underwent surgery for a right‑knee ligament injury sustained in India’s World Cup warm‑up, with multiple reports expecting him to miss the bulk of IPL 2026.
KKR have assessed options at Eden Gardens, with KM Asif and Sandeep Warrier attending pre‑season sessions and Simarjeet Singh viewed as the leading replacement candidate after trials.
With frontline pace uncertain, KKR are preparing bigger roles for Vaibhav Arora and Akash Deep, with Blessing Muzarabani also in focus, as the team weighs the Rs 18 crore investment in Pathirana before the March 29 opener versus Mumbai Indians.