Sri Lankan death over specialist and one of the key bowlers for Chennai Super Kings is all set to play for Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2026 season. KKR bought the speed star at 18 Cr rupees which is a hike from his last IPL salary which was 13 Cr rupees.
With this hike, Pathirana became the highest paid Sri Lankan player ever.
KKR built a strong team
Kolkata Knight Riders entered the auction with the largest purse and made a statement by securing Cameron Green for an overseas-record INR 25.20 crore. Green is expected to step into the all-round role vacated by Andre Russell, who has transitioned into the coaching setup. Beyond the first-choice XI, KKR boast strong squad depth. Tim Seifert and Finn Allen add flexibility as attacking opener-keepers, while Matheesha Pathirana, Mustafizur Rahman (available for part of the season), and Akash Deep strengthen the death-bowling unit. Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, and Kartik Tyagi further enhance the squad with reliable all-round options.
