Matheesha Pathirana to be roped by Mumbai Indians in next IPL? Lasith Malinga shocks with his statement post CSK's win
Updated - 15 Apr 2024, 01:28 PM
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Mumbai Indians (MI) bowling coach Lasith Malinga showered praise on young Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Matheesha Pathirana for his outstanding performance. Despite Matheesha Pathirana's success against his team, Lasith Malinga expressed admiration for his bowling prowess.
The MI teams suffered a 20-run defeat against the Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, April 14. Matheesha Pathirana delivered an impressive bowling performance in his team's fourth win this season, with figures of 4-28 in four overs.
Pathirana disrupted Mumbai's momentum after their strong start at 70 for no loss in the eighth over. He made crucial breakthroughs by dismissing Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav in his first over. He removed the well-set Tilak Varma in his second over, breaking his 50-run stand with Rohit.
The young Sri Lankan pace bowler delivered a stunning delivery to dismiss all-rounder Romario Shepherd in the 18th over. It marked his final victim of the match, as Romario Shepherd fell for just one run. Pathirana's performance contributed to his career-best figures in the history of the IPL.
Extremely Impressed With Matheesha Pathirana - Lasith Malinga
After the defeat to the Super Kings, Lasith Malinga took to X (formerly Twitter) to commend Matheesha Pathirana for his improved control, line, and length. Malinga emphasized the significance of Pathirana's form for Sri Lanka heading into the 2024 T20 World Cup.
"Extremely impressed with @matheesha_81’s performance yesterday, despite doing it against us. He has significantly enhanced his control, line, and length. His form leading into the WC will be pivotal for SL," Malinga tweeted.
Extremely impressed with @matheesha_81’s performance yesterday, despite doing it against us.
— Lasith Malinga (@malinga_ninety9) April 15, 2024
He has significantly enhanced his control, line, and length.
His form leading into the WC will be pivotal for SL🇱🇰
The 21-year-old missed the previous matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders due to an injury. Pathirana played a crucial role for CSK while defending a target of 206 against MI, who recently chased down 197 runs at the same venue in just 16 overs.
Matheesha Pathirana Is Out Baby Lasith Malings - Ruturaj Gaikwad
During the presentation, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad revealed the special nickname given to Matheesha Pathirana by his teammates. He commended the bowlers, particularly highlighting Pathirana's precise yorkers and the contributions of Tushar Deshpande and Shardul Thakur.
“These kinds of venues demand special performances in the batting and bowling departments. Our Malinga bowled well and nailed those Yorkers. Tushar [Deshpande] and Shardul [Thakur] also bowled well for us. We encourage our players to have good head space. Ajinkya Rahane was not fit, and we thought it was better for him to open the innings. Yeah. He is our baby Malinga, and we call him by that name,” Gaikwad said.
Matheesha Pathirana climbed to eighth place in the rankings after claiming eight wickets in three innings at an outstanding strike rate of 8.25. With his recent four-wicket haul, he has taken 29 wickets from 17 IPL matches at an average of 17.62 and an impressive economy rate of 7.84.
