Watch- Matheesha Pathirana's yorker crushes Heinrich Klaasen's toes

Matheesha Pathirana floored South African power hitter Heinrich Klaasen with a trademark toe-crushing yorker yesterday in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. 

The Sri Lankans were taking on the Aiden Markram-led Proteas team in their opening Group D match at the Nassau County Stadium in New York. Opening matches are always crucial for any particular side, which is playing in a major ICC competition. Catching momentum early on in a tournament is very important, especially when it's a 20-team event.  

While Sri Lanka have won the T20 World Cup back in 2014, South Africa are one of the many sides in this World Cup, which is yet to win a major title. Last year during the 50-over WC in India, the Proteas had reached to the semi-finals but as usual, they choked when it mattered the most. 

Heinrich Klaasen falls to the ground following Matheesha Pathirana's 

During the 12th over of the 2nd innings when South Africa were chasing the total set by Lankans, Matheesha Pathirana bowled the ball of the tournament. Although there is still a month's competition left in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Pathirana's perfectly executed yorker is one of the contenders. 

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Heinrich Klaasen, who had just walked into the crease following the dismissal of Aiden Markram, wasn't really expecting that kind of a Yorker. It would be fair to say that Matheesha Pathirana took him by surprise and gave him no chance at all to understand the length and pace of the delivery. 

While trying to get the Matheesha Pathirana yorker towards the leg side, Heinrich Klaasen was able to make minimal contact. The ball took an outside edge off Klaasen's blade with the batter getting imbalanced and falling on one side before rolling over and taking a single.

The commentators were buzzing in the comm box after seeing that yorker from Matheesha Pathirana. It was a beautifully seamed delivery, angled towards the middle and leg stump. The ball ended up hitting hard on Heinrich Klaasen's back foot which was also the reason why he fell in the pitch. 

South Africa will be thankful that Heinrich Klaasen didn't end up getting injured. Regardless of the yorker from Pathirana, he could not save Sri Lanka from losing the game in what was the first-ever official World Cup match in New York. 

Sri Lanka lose after posting T20 World Cup history's 14th-lowest score 

Sri Lanka were vulnerable during their outing against South Africa as skipper Wanindu Hasaranga's decision at the toss proved costly. In a pitch where the Lankans and Proteas never played, Hasaranga, instead of sending his opponents to bat first, asked the Africans to have a bowl. 

It handed Aiden Markram's side, a massive advantage as they observed the surface very well in the 1st innings which helped them during the chase. In a track, tailor-made for the bowlers, South Africa bowled Sri Lanka out for just 77 runs, thanks to 4 wickets from Anrich Nortje, 2 wickets each from Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj with Ottniel Baartman getting one wicket. 

In response, South Africa seemingly struggled as well but they were eventually able to seal the victory by 6-wickets with Heinrich Klaasen scoring the winning runs.