Matheesha Pathirana KKR IPL 2026: Mathisha Pathirana has been bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 18 crores. He has become the most expensive Sri Lankan cricketer in IPL auction history. Chennai Super Kings had released him before the auction and this time CSK did not make a single bid on Pathirana.
The base price of Mathisha Pathirana was Rs 2 crore, for which there was a fight between Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants. Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants were ready to spend more than half of their purse on Pathirana, but they did not fare well in front of KKR.
Delhi Capitals pulled out at Rs 15.60 crore, even after that LSG did not give up, bidding up to Rs 17.80 crore on Pathirana, but after that LSG also backed out. Ultimately KKR bought Pathirana for Rs 18 crore. Before him, the record of being the most expensive Sri Lankan player in the auction was in the name of Wanindu Hasaranga, who was bought by RCB for Rs 10.75 crore in the 2022 auction.
Mathisha Pathirana was retained by Chennai Super Kings last year for Rs 13 crore, but Kolkata Knight Riders bid Rs 5 crore higher than last year. Earlier, KKR had bid Rs 25.20 crore on Cameron Green in the same auction.
IPL career of Mathisha Pathirana
Mathisha Pathirana has taken 47 wickets in his IPL career of 32 matches so far. The 2025 season did not go very well for him, in which he took 13 wickets in 12 matches for CSK. But in the previous season, he had taken 13 wickets in only 6 matches.
