Young Sri Lankan cricketer Matheesha Pathirana has praised the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for significantly impacting his career. Pathirana is set to represent his country in the upcoming one-day and T20 series against India, starting on July 27. He recently discussed his early career and highlighted the crucial role CSK and its captain, MS Dhoni, played in his development.
At 21, Pathirana made his IPL debut in 2022, taking two wickets in two matches. That same year, he also debuted internationally, earning his T20 cap against Afghanistan. In the following IPL season, he had an outstanding performance, capturing 19 wickets in 12 matches with an average of 19.53. In the 2024 season, he continued his strong form, taking 13 wickets in six games with an average of 13.
Pathirana talked about how quickly he became known in international cricket. He thanked the Chennai Super Kings, an IPL team, for helping him get noticed by his national team. He called playing for CSK “a gift from God” and said it was especially meaningful to be in the same team as MS Dhoni.
“Before joining CSK, I wasn’t part of any Sri Lankan squads, even after playing in the under-19s. But after my first game with CSK, I got opportunities and was picked for the main Sri Lankan team. For me, playing for CSK feels like a gift from God. Before CSK, not many people knew who I was. Being in the same team as Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) is really special for young players like me, especially coming from Sri Lanka,” Pathirana shared in an interview with Sportstar.
The fast bowler continued by saying that it would be a great challenge to play against the current World Champions, India, in the upcoming T20I series.
“I believe it will be a great challenge. India has a new coach and some new players, so their team setup will be a bit different. However, it will be a great challenge for us since they are the world champions. We have a strong team with a lot of talent and potential. Sadly, we didn’t perform well in the T20 World Cup. But if we can win this series, it will give us a boost of confidence for the next three years,” Pathirana explained.
In the nine T20I matches he has played so far, Pathirana has taken 14 wickets with an average of 17.07 and an economy rate of 8.05. In ODIs, he has 17 wickets from 12 matches with an average of 36.23 and an economy rate of 7.27. The young player is looking forward to making a significant impact for his team as they face India in a three-match T20I series starting on July 27.
