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As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 approaches the halfway point, match number 25 will see the former champions, Gujarat Titans (GT), take on the three-time winners, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on April 17. 

Shubman Gill and his team are riding high after a victory against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), but it’s been a tough season for the Knight Riders so far. 

Ajinkya Rahane and his squad are still searching for their first win this season and are eager to find their rhythm before it’s too late. The team has been grappling with several player issues, one of which involves Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana. Known for his distinctive bowling style, Pathirana has yet to join the KKR squad, despite the team securing him for INR 18 Crore at the 2026 auction. 

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The 23-year-old has been sidelined since the T20 World Cup 2026 but recently passed a fitness test conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and received a No-Objection Certificate (NOC). However, he still hasn’t made it to India. A KKR spokesperson, as reported by The Hindu, mentioned that the franchise is currently sorting out the ‘logistics’ to bring him to India for the remainder of IPL 2026. 

With his arrival still in limbo, he’s set to miss KKR’s next match on April 17. Consequently, Blessing Mezarabi is expected to remain in the playing XI alongside other bowling options.

Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Finn Allen, Tejasvi Singh, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Rovman Powell, Anukul Roy, Cameron Green, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Ramandeep Singh, Sunil Narine, Blessing Muzarabani, Vaibhav Arora, Matheesha Pathirana, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Saurabh Dubey, Navdeep Saini, Umran Malik, Varun Chakaravarthy.