At the IPL 2026 mini-auction on Tuesday, December 16, Kris Srikkanth questioned if the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were justified to invest INR 18 crore to recruit Matheesha Pathirana. Although he praised the three-time champions for signing Mustafizur Rahman as a backup for the Sri Lankan teenager, the 1983 World Cup winner characterised Pathirana as an inconsistent bowler.
Before losing to KKR, who had entered the auction with the largest purse—INR 64.3 crore—Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) overcame Delhi Capitals (DC) in a bidding war. Given that the 22-year-old had trouble with the ball in the 2025 IPL, Srikkanth expressed astonishment at seeing Pathirana moving for such a large sum. After one poor season, players like Devon Conway and Jake Fraser-McGurk went unsold, according to the former cricket player turned analyst.
“Pathirana poses a significant risk. His bowling is inconsistent.
However, KKR was wise to get Mustafizur Rahman as well. Mustafizur is their backup for Pathirana. It was anticipated that Pathirana would join KKR in Bravo’s presence. However, I was taken aback by his cost and the quantity of teams who pursued him,” Srikkanth stated in a video posted to his YouTube page.
“LSG continued to work for him till he earned 18 crores. Is he really that good of a bowler to demand 18 crores? In the previous IPL season, he gave a pretty mediocre showing. Many athletes are cut after just one poor season. Fraser McGurk, for example, isn’t even in the scene despite having a poor season. Devon Conway is the same,” he continued.
According to Srikkanth, he thought Australian all-rounder Cameron Green would bat in the top three and anticipated him to pay the high fee of INR 25.2 crore.
Cameron Green’s, however, was as anticipated. He deserved the 25 crores that were anticipated for him. Green will bat in his preferred position, which is beneficial for KKR and him. Srikkanth stated, “He won’t go to 4 and 5 and will always play in the top three.
Bravo to the management for assembling a strong team: Srikkanth
Although the Ajinkya Rahane-led team had a fantastic auction, the former India top selector questioned whether they had enough middle-order strength.
“The auction was amazing. Bravo to the management for assembling a strong team. They had the financial clout, so they arrived with a great idea. A few batting positions from No. 4 to No. 6 are the only things to worry about. After Rahane and Raghuvanshi, No. 5 in the batting order is very concerning,” he said.
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