SRH vs KKR Injury News: When Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) square off in the 19th season of the Indian Premier League today at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, the stakes will be high. With six wins in nine games so far, SRH has demonstrated incredible winning consistency. In contrast, the Kolkata Knight Riders had a terrible start to the 2026 Indian Premier League but have won the last several games. The Ajinkya Rahane-led team is eager to defeat the hosts in this afternoon’s match, especially since Matheesha Pathirana’s return is very possible.
SRH vs KKR: Will Matheesha Pathirana play in today IPL 2026 match?
Matheesha Pathirana has been one of the few fast bowlers to have missed the first eight games for the Kolkata Knight Riders this season. The Sri Lankan pacer joined the team a few days ago but is yet to make his debut for the three-time champions. Having won their last two games, Ajinkya Rahane might not be inclined to change the winning combination. However, in Hyderabad, there has been some reverse swing on offer, which Pathirana can use in the death overs. His presence in death overs could take off some pressure on the young Indian bowlers, including the likes of Kartik Tyagi and Vaibhav Arora.
Meanwhile, KKR bowling coach Tim Southee talked about how the conditions at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium play a role in whether Pathirana plays or not. The former Kiwi pacer said, “So, we’ll look at conditions and make a decision on the side that we think’s best for tomorrow’s game. He’s (Pathirana) been bowling well at training, and it’s great to have him as a part of the side.”
SRH vs KKR: Who will Matheesha Pathirana replace?
Matheesha Pathirana, being an overseas player, could shake the combination of the KKR unit. KKR’s big money buy Cameron Green has struck form in recent games; meanwhile, Sunil Narine continues to be indispensable, especially with the way he won the Knight Riders’ last game with his super over bowling. That leaves Rovman Powell and Tim Seifert as the possible players making way for Pathirana. Powell, in his limited opportunities, has shown some fight with the bat in hand and has been incredible in the field as well. Meanwhile, Seifert scored 19 runs in his first game and, since then, has been dismissed on ducks in the next two matches. The Kiwi opening batter could be replaced by Matheesha Pathirana.
If Pathirana comes to KKR, they might have to look past someone like Ramandeep Singh, who has not made many contributions with the bat in hand. Meanwhile, Seifert could be replaced at the top of the order by Sunil Narine, and the extra position could be taken up by Manish Pandey, Rahul Tripathi, or Tejasvi Dahiya.
SRH vs KKR: Will Tim Seifert and Ramandeep Singh be dropped?
Kolkata Knight Riders, despite coming into this game on the back of a couple of wins, could make a few changes in their playing XI. Tim Seifert, who has scored only 19 runs in three innings and has been dismissed without scoring in the previous two games, could find himself on the bench. Meanwhile, Ramandeep Singh, in six innings, has scored 82 runs while striking at 120. Ramandeep has bowled 16 balls and has gone for 31 runs in the season while accounting for only a single dismissal.
IPL 2026: SRH vs KKR Predicted Playing XI
SRH Predicted Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins (C), Harsh Dubey, Sakib Hussain, Eshan Malinga; Impact Player: Praful Hinge
KKR Predicted Playing XI: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Sunil Narine, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey/Tejaswi Dahiya, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Matheesha Pathirana; Impact Player: Varun Chakaravarthy
