CSK participation called ‘gift from God’ as Matheesha Pathirana dismisses Sri Lanka's role in his rise

Sri Lanka National Cricket Team fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana talked about how playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) changed his career. He said playing for the franchise was a gift from god for him as not many knew him till then.

Matheesha Pathirana is one of the most exciting pacers to have emerged from Sri Lanka. But his potential was shown to the world by MS Dhoni at the Chennai Super Kings. He joined the team in 2022 and, since then, has been an integral part of the team, contributing massively to the team's success.

Matheesha Pathirana played a massive role for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2023. He picked 19 wickets at an average of under 20 and an economy of 8.01 in 12 outings and helped the team win the title under the leadership of MS Dhoni, who recognized his potential and used him pretty well.

Thanks to his heroics in the IPL, Matheesha Pathirana also made his case strong for the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team. The fast bowler is now the mainstay of the team in the white-ball formats. The fast bowler has been named in the squad for the upcoming three-match T20I and ODI series against India.

Ahead of the series against India, Matheesha Pathirana highlighted that after U19s, not many knew him, but after joining CSK, things changed. He also talked about sharing the dressing room with MS Dhoni and while speaking to Sportstar, he explained:

"After my under-19s, I was not in any squads in Sri Lanka. But since my debut for CSK, I got those chances and got selected for Sri Lanka’s main team. Playing for CSK is a gift from god for me.

"Until I played for CSK, not many knew me. Sharing the dressing room with Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) is very special for youngsters like me, especially coming from Sri Lanka,"

We have a very good side and a lot of talent and potential - Matheesha Pathirana

Matheesha Pathirana further talked about the upcoming T20I series against the India National Cricket Team and stated that it will be a good challenge for them as the Indian combination will be different this time around. He expressed confidence in his team and claimed that if they win the series it will be a boost for them. He added:

"I think it will be a good challenge. India is coming with a new coach and some new players; their combination will be slightly different. But it will be a good challenge for us because they are world champions.

"We have a very good side and a lot of talent and potential. Unfortunately, we didn’t do well in the T20 World Cup. But if we can win this series, it will be a confidence booster for the next three years."

The first match of the series between India and Sri Lanka will be played on 27th July, followed by the last two games slated to take place on 28th and 30th July, respectively.