Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana has been declared fit to take part in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The pacer’s manager Amila Kalugalage shared an update on Pathirana on his official ‘X’ account.
“The answer to ‘Where’s Pathirana’. He is fit and ready to throw Thunder balls. Be ready. Finally a together with the Legend,” Kalugalage wrote on Friday, March 22.
Earlier, Pathirana sustained a hamstring injury during Sri Lanka’s ODI series against Bangladesh. He had a Grade 1 hamstring tear after which he missed the third game of the series.
Pathirana is expected to join the CSK camp only after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) gives him clearance. Earlier, it was reported that the right-arm pacer could miss the first 2 to 3 matches in the upcoming edition of the T20 league.
Matheesha Pathirana’s key role for CSK
Pathirana played an important part for the Super Kings in their title-winning campaign last time around. In 12 matches, the youngster picked up 19 wickets at an economy rate of 8. He finished as the third-highest wicket-taker for CSK after Tushar Deshpande (21) and Ravindra Jadeja (20).
Dhoni mostly entrusted him to bowl in the death overs, and he did not let his team down. Pathirana can bowl pinpoint Yorkers and outfox batters with his clever change of pace. Dhoni used him in the death overs where he bowled with a lot of accuracy.
If Pathirana does not play, CSK have an apt replacement in Mustafizur Rahman, who fetched INR 2 crore in the auction. Mustafizur played for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) before moving to the Super Kings.
CSK are set to start their campaign in IPL 2024 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), led by Faf du Plessis, on Friday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
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