DC vs KKR, IPL 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and their captain Ajinkya Rahane have come under fire for not benching fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana yet despite being reportedly fully fit in the crucial IPL 2026 game against the Delhi Capitals on Friday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. With Rahane earlier lamenting the lack of bowling stocks, fans have questioned why the Sri Lankan speedster hasn’t been included in the XI when the Knight Riders must win all their remaining matches to have a chance at reaching the playoffs.
DC vs KKR, IPL 2026: Why has Matheesha Pathirana not been included in the XI to face the Delhi Capitals?
According to a report published on April 12 in ESPN Cricinfo, the Sri Lankan speedster has been declared fit to join the squad and he has linked up with the Knight Riders. Having been bought for a massive sum of ₹18 crore in the auction, Pathirana is yet to play a match this season. On Friday, Rahane named an unchanged side after winning the toss, with Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Sunil Narine and Rovman Powell as their overseas contingent. Notably, the youngster is not even in the impact sub list.
Here’s how the fans have reacted to Pathirana’s absence
Matheesha Pathirana and Tejashvi Dahiya in KKR. pic.twitter.com/Oo1YINMnI6
— कट्टर INDIA समर्थक 🦁🇮🇳 ™ (@KKRWeRule) May 8, 2026
18 cr buy Matheesha Pathirana continues to warm the bench.
Manish Pandey stays in the playing 11 and still no place for Tejasvi Dahiya. pic.twitter.com/cLtCn3GaNN— Sloth (@ImSloth24) May 8, 2026
What a useless captain Ajinkya Rahane is! At the start of the match, he was whining that he lacked bowling support—claiming he hadn’t received permission from the Australian camp for Cameron Green to bowl, and that Matheesha Pathirana wasn’t fit,
— quadri Mdshoeb (@QMdshoeb) May 8, 2026
DC vs KKR, IPL 2026: Where are Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders placed on the points table?
The clash between the Capitals and the Knight Riders is a contest between 7th and 8th ranked side. The Capitals arrested their slide after losses to the Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by defeating the Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Nevertheless, a setback came in the form of another home defeat to the Super Kings and it proved to be their sixth loss of the season.
As for the Knight Riders, the three-time champions had lost six out of their first seven games, with one point coming after a washout to the Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. But they have registered three consecutive wins over the Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and the SunRisers Hyderabad. With five defeats and the competition heating up for the playoff spot, the Knight Riders cannot afford a misstep either.
