KKR’s big buy explained: How Matheesha Pathirana escapes IPL 2026 salary cap rule

Rajgeeta Yadav

KKR buy Matheesha Pathirana for 18 Crore [Source: AFP] KKR buy Matheesha Pathirana for 18 Crore [Source: AFP]

Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana grabbed headlined the IPL 2026 auction after being bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a huge ₹18 crore. This made him the second-most expensive player at this auction and the costliest Sri Lankan cricketer ever in IPL history. 

Many fans, however, were confused about whether Pathirana would actually receive the full amount because of a new IPL rule. The simple answer is yes, Pathirana will get every penny of his ₹18 crore contract.

Why Pathirana is safe from IPL's maximum fee rule

To understand why, it helps to look at what happened with Australian all-rounder Cameron Green. Green was bought for ₹25.20 crore, however, he will only receive ₹18 crore. The remaining ₹7.20 crore will go to the BCCI’s Player Welfare Fund. This happened because of a new “maximum fee” rule introduced by the IPL before the 2025 mega auction.

It is important to mention that the rule was created to stop overseas players from skipping big auctions and entering mini-auctions, where teams often overpay due to limited options. 

Under this rule, overseas players can receive a maximum of ₹18 crore, which is the same as the highest retention amount set before the 2025 mega auction. If a team goes above this cap, the extra money does not go to the player but is instead paid to the BCCI. Importantly, the team’s full bid amount is still deducted from its auction purse.

Cameron Green’s case falls under this rule because his bid crossed the ₹18 crore limit. However, Pathirana’s bid was exactly ₹18 crore, which is within the allowed cap. Since KKR did not exceed the maximum fee while buying him, Pathirana is fully entitled to the entire amount.

Meanwhile, Indian players are not affected by this rule at all. If an Indian cricketer were bought for more than ₹18 crore, he would receive the full amount without any deductions.

Notably, Pathirana’s fee is also the joint second-highest ever paid for a specialist bowler, behind Mitchell Starc’s ₹24.75 crore deal with KKR in 2024.

The high price reflects Pathirana’s impact in the IPL. At just 22 years old, he has taken 47 wickets in 32 matches. He has one of the best strike rates among IPL fast bowlers with over 20 wickets. Since his debut, he has been especially deadly in the death overs, taking 43 wickets between overs 11 and 20, second only to Jasprit Bumrah in terms of economy.