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Match 38 of IPL 2026 will witness Kolkata Knight Riders facing Lucknow Super Giants on April 26th which will be hosted by Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. This match holds significance for the Knights who haven't found the going easy so far this season.

Skipper Ajinkya Rahane has only one victory under his belt in seven games played this year and has continued to falter with the batting order which has faced problems with batting collapses and inconsistent combinations. Adding fuel to the fire experienced pacers like Harshit Rana and Akash Deep are out with injuries.

Adding to the KKR camp, their overseas player Matheesha Pathirana joins them post his recovery from the injury. The Sri Lankan missed the initial phase of the IPL due to a left calf strain that he had picked up in T20 World Cup earlier this year and the bowler had to spend considerable time on the sidelines recuperating.

 He was consistently monitored by SLC throughout his rehabilitation and had to pass the board's fitness assessment before boarding the flight to India. An NOC was required from Sri Lanka Cricket before making his way to the subcontinent which delayed his arrival. Following completion of all the formalities the pacer has successfully joined the KKR camp and has been sweating it out with the coaching staff for over a week now.

The Sri Lankan missed the game against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday as they decided not to take any risk with him before full recovery.

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Expectedly, Pathirana would be available for selection for the encounter against LSG today as the bowler seems to have attained full fitness and has received the green signal to play from the team management. KKR had already invested a lot on Pathirana after picking him for a whooping 18 crore in the IPL 2026 auction on the back of his successful spell with Chennai Super Kings. The addition to the bowling line-up would boost the powerplay and also help in the death overs.

The Sri Lankan is widely recognized for his unique action and ability to deliver varying pace deliveries and could be the turn of fortunes for KKR who have faltered this season with a poor form and may be add the missing link that this team requires.

The Lucknow Super Giants would look to continue their good form and bag all points from the lackluster form of the Knights, and it remains to be seen if the new inclusion makes his debut and instant difference to KKR's fortune this year.