IPL 2026 Auction: Matheesha Pathirana penned an emotional note for the Chennai Super Kings after his impressive association with the franchise came to an end. After getting released by CSK, Pathirana was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders for a massive price of Rs 18 crore at the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Pathirana became the joint third-highest expensive pacer in IPL history, after Mitchell Starc (Rs 24.75 crore), Pat Cummins (Rs 20.5 crore) and Arshdeep Singh (Rs 18 crore). While CSK avoided bidding for Pathirana, the young pacer attracted an intense bidding war during the mini auction, with Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants initially in the hunt. However, Kolkata Knight Riders entered the auction and ended up securing him for Rs 18 crore.
Pathirana played for CSK in four IPL seasons, playing 32 matches and claiming 47 wickets, emerging as one of CSK’s most trusted death-bowling options. Taking to Instagram, the 22-year-old reflected on what the franchise meant to him beyond numbers.
"From a boy with a dream to wearing yellow with pride. CSK gave me more than just cricket; it gave me belief, confidence, and a family I will always cherish," Pathirana wrote. The right-arm pacer mentioned that he was very disappointed to not finish his stint at CSK the way he had hoped, having also fallen short of the 50-wicket milestone in the league. "From 2022 till the end of 2025, every moment in yellow shaped me as a cricketer and as a person. I always wanted to finish my last season with CSK on a special note, to give my best till the end and reach 50 wickets for this incredible franchise. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make that happen, but the dream and the effort were always from the heart."
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Pathirana reserved special thanks for MS Dhoni and the CSK management.
"I am forever grateful to Dhoni bhai for the guidance and trust, Kasi sir and the management for believing in me, my teammates for standing by me like brothers, and every loyal CSK fan who supported me through every high and low," he wrote.
"Chennai will always feel like home, and yellow will always have a special place in my heart."
Pathirana played a key role in CSK's IPL 2023 title win as he finished the season with 19 wickets at an average of 19.53. Due to injury concerns, he played just six games in 2024, though he still picked up 13 wickets. Pathirana's final season with CSK in 2025 proved tougher, as he managed 13 wickets in 12 matches while struggling for consistency.