KKR not seeking replacements for Harshit Rana, Matheesha Pathirana

Kolkata Knight Riders will not seek replacements for Harshit Rana and Matheesha Pathirana, albeit for different reasons.

Rana, withdrawn from India's T20 World Cup squad due to a knee injury, will be unavailable this season as he recovers from recent surgery.

He had emerged as a reliable pacer for KKR, taking 19 wickets in IPL 2024 and 15 in 2025, while also adding batting depth. The franchise believes it has sufficient pace options, with Indian pacers Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Kartik Tyagi, and Akash Deep already in the squad.

Pathirana, injured and replaced in Sri Lanka's World Cup squad, is not being replaced by KKR either. The franchise, which bought him for INR 18 crore, expects the slinger to be available at some point during the IPL. A recent social media post by his manager showed him in KKR colours, raising hopes of his participation.

Parallels between Muzarabani, Bosch

KKR recently signed Blessing Muzarabani to replace Mustafizur Rahman, released on BCCI instructions. Muzarabani was to represent Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), drawing parallels with Corbin Bosch, who spurned a PSL contract last season to join the IPL.

Sources indicate the PCB has little basis to act against Muzarabani, as he had not signed a formal contract with Islamabad United. However, Islamabad United management contests this, insisting the cases are similar. The PCB had banned Bosch for one year after he pulled out of a PSL deal to join Mumbai Indians last year, and some Pakistan media reports suggest Muzarabani could face similar action.

The IPL starts on March 28. KKR, the three-time champions, face five-time champions Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede on March 29.