Matheesha Pathirana, the Sri Lankan pacer, will miss the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) upcoming match against the Gujarat Titans on April 17, 2026, despite being declared fit and receiving a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). KKR, currently struggling at the bottom of the IPL points table with no wins in their first five matches, is working on the logistics for Pathirana's return after he suffered a left leg injury during the T20 World Cup. Although he cleared a fitness test mandated by SLC, he missed the previous match against Chennai Super Kings. KKR has relied on an all-Indian pace attack in his absence, while also coping with the loss of Mustafizur Rahman and Harshit Rana due to various issues. While Pathirana's bowling could bolster KKR's performance, his return may necessitate changes to the team's overseas player lineup, potentially impacting regular starters like Cameron Green. KKR hopes Pathirana can help rejuvenate the team's spirit as they aim to turn their season around.