Matheesha Pathirana out of CSK? Pacer makes drastic change in IPL Trade Window
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Chennai Super Kings star boy Matheesha Pathirana makes an alarming change to his bowling action and promises next season's return with more controlled spells after being crowned as the wide-ball king of world cricket.
The new slingy Sri Lankan bowler, 22-year-old Pathirana, is often compared to Sri Lankan master pacer Lasith Malinga, who was once considered one of the fiercest pacers in the world and was especially known widely as one of the greatest death bowlers in the history of the game.
Known largely for his slingy bowling action and yorkers, which were unplayable, Pathirana also has a similar reputation as a death overs specialist; however, he lacks control over his line, which often makes him a threat for his side.
Matheesha Pathirana makes a drastic change ahead of the Asia Cup 2025
Pathirana played 4 seasons in the IPL with the Chennai Super Kings and is also seen across several other global T20 leagues, alongside featuring for India. At a young age, he has gained the status strong enough to intimidate any batter during the innings.
Matheesha Pathirana, who was criticized for leaking too many runs, especially due to wrong lines and many extras, has made some changes to his bowling action before the Sri Lankan team goes for the Asia Cup 2025.
Now with a bit of a straightened back, Matheesha Pathirana still holds onto his slingy bowling action, but with a slightly higher release, with the hand kept nearer to his body than his previous action, where he almost leaned and had a 180-degree arch between his inclined head and bowling arm.
The change would surely help Matheesha Pathirana control his line better and bowl in better areas to trouble the batters with his sheer pace and unpredictable variations. This change was spotted during a game in the ongoing SLC T20 League.
Matheesha Pathirana has changed his bowling action, This is his recent spell from SLC T20 League.. Looks great now. Well done my boy 💪. pic.twitter.com/ujOSj9JjJ3
— Nibraz Ramzan (@nibraz88cricket) August 15, 2025
Pathirana to be retained by CSK as lead pacer
The young Lankan pacer made his debut in the IPL for CSK back in 2022, when he was just 19 years old, and has played in 32 games for CSK over the last few seasons, with injuries keeping him out on some occasions.
Matheesha Pathirana has evolved to be Chennai Super Kings' new find as a death overs specialist after veteran Dwayne Bravo announced his retirement from the IPL. Though entirely different from each other, Bravo guided Pathirana to his best as a bowling coach for CSK.
Matheesha Pathirana has a slingy action much like former Lankan legend Lasith Malinga. However, unlike Malinga, Pathirana has a lower release and often strains his muscles way too much in an attempt to bring that extra pace to his deliveries.
In 32 IPL matches, he has 47 wickets for CSK and is likely to be retained this season as well, while CSK would hope for a complete season participation from the Sri Lankan quick.
Pathirana's unwanted record for the most wides
Last season in IPL 2025, CSK undoubtedly had a nightmare season; however, their players also hit new lows. Shivam Dube performed badly, while Ruturaj Gaikwad was sent out with an injury, and Rachin Ravindra could not contribute handsomely with the bat.
However, the CSK bowlers, including Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmed, and Ravindra Jadeja, did not have a poor season, but Pathirana could not find his very best. Though the pacer picked 13 wickets in the season, he bowled 32 wides, surpassing his previous unwanted record of 31 wides in the 2023 season.
He has bowled a total of 83 wides alone in his IPL career, playing just 32 games across all seasons since his debut.
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