Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) invested ₹18 crore to sign Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana for the IPL 2026, but he has yet to play this season due to injury. Ahead of their match against Delhi Capitals, KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo stated that while Pathirana is close to returning, the team is exercising caution to avoid rushing him back. KKR, having endured a challenging start with six losses in their first matches, has recently shown improvement, winning their last three games. Bravo noted the importance of focusing on each match rather than the overall points table, as the team aims to secure victories in all remaining fixtures to keep their playoff hopes alive. Additionally, Bravo praised spinner Varun Chakravarthy for bouncing back after a slow start, highlighting his recent performance of 10 wickets in four matches.