No Pathirana till mid-April, KKR figuring out Harshit Rana replacement: Abhishek Nayar

IPL 2026: KKR are scrambling to figure out a Harshit Rana replacement while Matheesha Pathirana remains weeks away from fitness. Can they patch up their pace crisis before IPL 2026 gets underway?

Kolkata Knight Riders head into IPL 2026 with a mounting pace bowling crisis, with head coach Abhishek Nayar confirming the franchise is yet to identify a replacement for injured seamer Harshit Rana. Meanwhile, one of their big-money signings, Matheesha Pathirana, is expected to be unavailable until mid-April at the earliest.

Rana, one of KKR's most important bowlers over the past two seasons, including their championship-winning campaign, is recovering from a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee that required surgery. The injury, sustained during India's T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa in February, has ruled him out of the start of the season with no confirmed return date.

"It is a big blow as Harshit Rana has been an integral part of the team for the past couple of seasons," Nayar said at a press conference facilitated by JioStar.

"Over the last few days, we have looked at a few bowlers. We are trying to evaluate with the help of our leadership group as to who fits in and who can do that role best. As of this moment, we have not made a decision, but hopefully, soon we can identify someone who we feel can make a difference to the squad."

Nayar added that an announcement was expected within a couple of days, most likely before the squad departs for Mumbai on March 25, ahead of their opening match against the Mumbai Indians on March 29.

The Rana situation is compounded by uncertainty surrounding Pathirana, the Sri Lankan slinger bought for Rs 18 crore ahead of the season. Pathirana had sustained a muscle strain during his time in the T20 World Cup and was subsequently ruled out of the tournament altogether.