Mumbai, March 28 -- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) assistant coach Shane Watson said that it is "a waiting game" regarding Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana's availability for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.

KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar had confirmed earlier that Pathirana is set to miss the early stages of the IPL as he will be available only from mid-April, owing to a calf strain, for which the pacer is undergoing rehab with the Sri Lanka Cricket. Notably, Pathirana was snapped up by KKR for Rs 18 crore in the IPL 2026 auction.

Speaking at the pre-match conference ahead of their IPL 2026 opener against the Mumbai Indians on March 29, Shane Watson said that the team is playing the waiting game regarding Pathirana's availa...