T20 World Cup 2021: Maheesh Theekshana Declared Fully Fit To Compete, Expected To Feature In The Match Against Australia

Sri Lanka mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana has been declared fully fit to compete and he is expected to feature in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 clash against Australia on 28 October at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The rise of 21-year old Theekshana has benefited Sri Lanka a lot, he performed brilliantly for Sri Lanka in the Round 1 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. He bagged in total eight wickets in three games. Unfortunately, he missed out on selection in the match against Bangladesh due to a side strain.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Head Coach Mickey Arthur has stated that Maheesh Theekshana will be part of the Playing XI in the clash against Australia if “everything goes well”. He stated:

“Maheesh will be playing tomorrow if everything goes well. We’ve rested him from training yesterday. He’s improved tremendously. So we’ll warm him up tomorrow; and if everything goes well, he’ll be playing.”

On Tuesday, Theekshana didn’t bowl but he was seen doing some sprints with the trainers – Grant Luden and Dilshan Fonseka at the ICC Academy in Dubai.

Maheesh Theekshana Is A Quality Bowler. He’s Still Young, Though – Mickey Arthur

The Sri Lanka head coach showered praise on the mystery spinner and said:

“He’s a quality bowler. He’s still young, though. He’s still making his way in the game.”

Mickey Arthur further added that they have studied Australia very well and he was expecting Maheesh Theekshana to shine in the mega encounter against Australia. He elaborated:

“We obviously have studied Australia. We had a series not so long ago when I was with Pakistan here against Australia where we did use spin quite successfully. So hopefully that works. If you haven’t seen Maheesh, he certainly poses some questions. He has a couple of different balls that do make you quite hesitant if you can’t pick them. So, look, it will be an interesting contest tomorrow.” 

Also Read: T20 World Cup 2021: Quinton de Kock Is Still A Part Of South Africa And Has Not Been Sent Home As Some Reports Have Incorrectly Stated – CSA