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Kris Srikkanth surprised by Matheesha Pathirana’s big payday, labels him 'hit-and-miss bowler': ‘Is he worth 18 crore?’
Srikkanth questioned Pathirana’s big-money move to KKR, calling the Sri Lankan pacer a hit-and-miss bowler, while noting Mustafizur's signing as smart cover.
Former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth admitted he was taken aback by Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana’s big payday at the IPL 2026 auction, where Kolkata Knight Riders snapped him up for a hefty INR 18 crore. The fast bowler, known for his unorthodox action, was one of the hottest properties on the day, with Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants sparking an early bidding tussle before KKR entered the fray and eventually outmuscled Lucknow to seal the deal at a mammoth price.
Pathirana broke into the IPL in 2022 but truly announced himself a year later, emerging as a key weapon for Chennai Super Kings with 19 wickets in the 2023 season. He followed that up with another impactful run the next year, claiming 13 wickets in just six matches. However, after being retained by CSK last season, the Sri Lankan pacer struggled to hit the same heights, managing 13 wickets from 12 outings while conceding at 10.14 an over. The five-time champions eventually released him ahead of the auction and notably stayed out of the bidding altogether on Tuesday.
Srikkanth weighed in on Pathirana’s big-money move to KKR, labelling the Sri Lankan pacer a “hit-and-miss” option while pointing out that the franchise’s decision to also secure Mustafizur Rahman was a shrewd safeguard against that risk.
"Pathirana is a huge risk. He's a hit-and-miss bowler. But KKR made a smart move by buying Mustafizur Rahman also. They've got a backup for Pathirana with Mustafizur. It was expected that with Bravo's presence, Pathirana would go to KKR. But I was surprised at his price and the number of teams that went for him," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
“Is Pathirana such a big bowler to go for 18 crores?”
Continuing his blunt assessment, Srikkanth questioned the aggressive bidding for Pathirana, drawing comparisons with other high-profile players who fell out of favour after just one underwhelming season, including Jake Fraser-McGurk and Devon Conway.
"LSG kept going for him until 18 crores. Is he such a big bowler to go for 18 crores? His performance was very ordinary in the last IPL season. Many players get excluded after one bad season. Someone like Fraser McGurk didn't do well one season, and he's not even in the scene. Same with Devon Conway," he added.
