IPL 2025: Stephen Fleming confirms Matheesha Pathirana is RULED OUT of...

In a major setback, Sri Lankan pace sensation Matheesha Pathirana has been ruled out of Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) crucial IPL 2025 encounter against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on March 28 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Matheesha Pathirana already missed CSK’s IPL 2025 opener against the Mumbai Indians, and now the young pace sensation will miss another home match due to an injury.

Matheesha Pathirana ruled out of CSK vs RCB clash

An Indian Express journalist posted on X: “Pathirana is recovering from injury: Stephen Fleming. So don’t expect him to play tomorrow.”

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Pathirana is recovering from injury: Stephen Fleming. So don’t expect him to play tomorrow.

— Venkata Krishna B (@venkatatweets) March 27, 2025

Ahead of the much-awaited CSK vs RCB clash in Chennai, head coach Stephen Fleming has officially confirmed that Pathirana will not be available for the match.

Read Also: CSK vs RCB Head-to-Head Records- IPL 2025, Match 8

Fleming confirmed that the Sri Lankan fast bowler is still recovering from an injury, which rules him out of the much-awaited IPL 2025 clash in Chennai. However, the CSK coach has not given any detail about the type of injury or extent of the niggle.

Matheesha Pathirana's IPL journey in numbers

Matheesha Pathirana has been a key part of Chennai Super Kings since making his IPL debut in 2022 against Gujarat Titans. Despite CSK losing that match, he impressed with the bowling figures of 2/24. The Sri Lankan bowler’s breakthrough season came in IPL 2023, where he picked up 19 wickets in 12 games and played a key role in CSK’s title-winning campaign.

In IPL 2024, Pathirana continued his remarkable form, claiming 13 wickets in just six matches before a hamstring injury ruled him out for the rest of the season. He sustained that injury during a series against Bangladesh in March, and he couldn’t play the full season for CSK last year.

Read Also: Virat Kohli namedropped as Ruturaj Gaikwad declares CSK-RCB rivalry inferior to IPL’s El Clásico

Across three seasons, Pathirana has played 20 matches, taking 34 wickets with an economy rate of 7.68. His best performance came in IPL 2024 against the Mumbai Indians, where he recorded figures of 4/28. However, this season, he is yet to make his appearance in the yellow jersey.

Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru make winning start of IPL 2025

Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have both started their IPL 2025 campaign with wins, setting the stage for an intense battle in Chennai. While RCB crushed Kolkata Knight Riders, CSK outclassed Mumbai Indians in their season openers.

Currently, RCB holds the second spot on the IPL 2025 points table with an impressive net run rate of +2.137, while CSK stands at the fourth spot with +0.493. However, beyond just points, the CSK vs RCB clash carries much more significance for Chennai.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and his team will be eager to take revenge on the RCB after last season’s heartbreaking final-over loss to the side, which ended their IPL 2024 playoff hopes. On the other hand, Bengaluru will be looking to build on their strong start this season.

Notably, Sunrisers Hyderabad is currently leading the points table with two points and a +2.200 net run rate. While Punjab Kings sit in the third position with +0.550 NRR, Delhi Capitals is in the fifth spot with +0.371 NRR. Although both teams have the equal number of points—2.