Sri Lanka National Cricket Team pacer Matheesha Pathirana has suffered another major setback, and this time, the blow has extended beyond the IPL 2026.
The Sri Lankan speedster has officially been ruled out of the upcoming West Indies tour after suffering a hamstring injury during his debut appearance for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026.
Matheesha Pathirana got injured in his KKR debut
Matheesha Pathirana’s much-awaited debut for Kolkata Knight Riders turned into a nightmare at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata against the Gujarat Titans.
The Sri Lankan pacer, who was bought for a massive INR 18 crore in the IPL 2026 auction after being released by Chennai Super Kings, lasted just eight deliveries before walking off the field injured.
Pathirana had already missed the initial phase of IPL 2026 due to fitness concerns and rehabilitation work. Apart from his recovery process, Kolkata Knight Riders also had to wait for Sri Lanka Cricket to issue his No Objection Certificate before he could finally join the squad.
With expectations sky-high around his arrival, fans were excited to finally see the slingy pacer in KKR colours. However, things didn't pan out the way everyone would have wanted.
Pathirana started the innings and bowled the fourth over of the powerplay. After bowling just 1.2 overs, he suddenly looked uncomfortable and was immediately attended to by the physio. The right-arm quick was seen clutching the back of his leg before eventually walking off the field midway through the over.
It was later confirmed that the Sri Lankan pacer had suffered a hamstring injury during the game, ruling him out of further participation, and KKR picked Luvnith Sisodia as his replacement.
Matheesha Pathirana ruled out of the West Indies tour
Sri Lanka Cricket also confirmed that Matheesha Pathirana would not travel with the squad for the upcoming West Indies tour.
The latest update has left Sri Lanka with a slightly reshuffled fast-bowling attack for the tour. The selectors have included Nuwan Thushara in the T20I squad. Alongside Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, and Eshan Malinga, Sri Lanka still possess several bowlers capable of consistently bowling at express pace.
Other seamers included in Sri Lanka’s white-ball squads are Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan, and Binura Fernando.
How many matches would Matheesha Pathirana miss on the West Indies tour?
Matheesha Pathirana is set to miss the entire Sri Lanka tour of the West Indies 2026, which includes white-ball cricket as well as the Test series.
Sri Lanka’s tour will begin with the ODI series in Jamaica. The first ODI is scheduled to be played on June 3 at Sabina Park in Kingston, followed by the second ODI on June 6 and the third ODI on June 8 at the same venue.
After the ODI leg, both teams will move into the T20I series. The first T20I will be played on June 11 in Kingston, while the second and third T20Is are scheduled for June 13 and June 14, respectively.
Sri Lanka will then play a four-day warm-up game against a West Indies Select XI in Antigua from June 18 before the start of the Test series.
The first Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka will begin on June 25 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua. The second and final Test of the series is scheduled to start on July 3 at the same venue.
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