IPL 2022: All You Need To Know About CSK's New Signing Matheesha Pathirana Who Has A Bowling Action Like Lasith Malinga

Sri Lankan youngster Matheesha Pathirana has been named as a replacement for Adam Milne in Chennai Super Kings‘ squad for the ongoing IPL 2022. Milne was ruled out of the cash-rich league owing to a hamstring injury and became the second pace bowler after Deepak Chahar to miss the tournament for CSK.

Pathirana, 19, was part of Sri Lanka’s two ICC World Cup squads in 2020 (South Africa) and 2022 (in the West Indies). He just played a couple of games in the 2020 ICC U19 World Cup against India and Nigeria but turned wicketless in both matches after rolling his arms for a total of 10 overs.  The right-arm medium pacer played four matches in the 2022 U19 World Cup and returned with seven scalps at an average of 27.28 and an economy rate of 6.16.

Matheesha Pathirana has a similar bowling action to that of Lasith Malinga

Although Sri Lanka didn’t make progress in the tournament and bowed out to South Africa in the Super League playoff semi-final 1. Pathirana rose to prominence with his low and slingy bowling action which makes an avid cricket fan recall Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup-winning skipper Lasith Malinga.

Matheesha Pathirana studied in the same college where Kumar Sangakkara went

Pathirana, who can bowl at a ruthless pace and execute toe-crushing yorkers, picked figures six for seven on his debut for Trinity College (Kandy), whose alumni includes former Sri Lanka captain and current Rajasthan Royals Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara.

Pathirana has just played one List A game for Nondescripts Cricket Club and a couple of T20 matches for SLC grey where he picked a couple of wickets of Avishka Fernando and Sekekkuge Prasanna. The 19-year-old Sri Lankan youngster was signed for INR 20 lakhs by CSK.

Pathirana will join senior Sri Lankan player Maheesh Theekshana at the CSK camp and will become the sixth player to participate in IPL 2022 from his country. Wanindu Hasaranga (RCB), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (PBKS), Dushmantha Chameera (LSG) and Chamika Karunaratne (KKR) are the other Sri Lankan players for this season.

CSK have lost five of their six matches in this tournament so far and they will clash with arch-rivals Mumbai Indians on Thursday at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.

Also Read: IPL 2022: Chennai Super Kings Fast Bowler Adam Milne Ruled Out Of The Tournament, Replacement Announced