3 reasons why Matheesha Pathirana is CSK's most important player for IPL 2024
Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana is an exciting young pacer. Following in the footsteps of Lasith Malinga, Pathirana with his slingy action is taking world cricket by storm.
In only his second T20I for Sri Lanka, Pathirana picked up four wickets in four overs against Afghanistan on February 17, and guided his team to a win by four runs. The young pacer picked up two wickets in the 19th over and almost sealed the game for Sri Lanka with his exceptional death-bowling skills.
Pathirana will be in action for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for his third season in IPL 2024 and will look to impress once again in the upcoming IPL season.
Here is a look at three reasons why Matheesha Pathirana is CSK's most important player in IPL 2024.
#1 Exceptional death bowling skills
In a T20 match, bowling in the death overs at times seems to be a nightmare for bowlers. Death bowling is an art and Pathirana seems to have mastered it at a very young age.
Pathirana, with his slingy action, bowls yorkers at a pace above 145 kmph, which makes life difficult for the opponent batters. The Sri Lankan pacer can bowl yorkers at will in death overs and batters have found it difficult to pick him because of his action. He bowls the right lines and lengths in the death overs and is an asset to MS Dhoni in IPL 2024.
#2 Matheesha Pathirana has tasted success in IPL in the past and is the in-form bowler
Matheesha Pathirana played just two matches in IPL 2022 and did not have the best of seasons. However, last year was a breakthrough season for the Sri Lankan pacer.
CSK made full use of Pathirana, especially in the death overs, and the pacer picked up 19 wickets in IPL 2023 in 12 matches at an average of just 19.53. He was one of the architects of Chennai's win in IPL 2023.
Having tasted success in the IPL in the past, Pathirana will look to carry forward his form in IPL 2024 and perform consistently in the upcoming IPL season.
The Super Kings will be encouraged by the fact that Pathirana is back to his best with the ball and if the match against Afghanistan on February 17, 2024, is any indication, IPL fans will witness more and more toe-crushing yorkers from the Sri Lankan pacer in IPL 2024.
#3 Indifferent form, fitness, and lack of experience of CSK pacer bowlers
Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur will look to spearhead the CSK bowling attack in IPL 2024. However, Chahar has been on the receiving end of injuries in his career. If fit, Chahar is an exceptional bowler in the first six overs and he usually bowls three overs inside the powerplay and is not known for his death bowling skills.
Thakur has played T20I cricket for India and even in the IPL. He has an economy rate of 9.15 in T20Is and 9.16 in the IPL and his struggles to bowl in the death overs are well known. Tushar Deshpande has an economy rate of 10.13 in IPL cricket and has leaked runs in the death overs.
Matheesha Pathirana is the answer to the death bowling woes of CSK. He has an economy rate of 7.96 in 14 IPL matches and has single-handedly won games for his franchise.
Though Pathirana is only 21, he is way ahead of the experienced Indian bowlers as far as executing yorkers and bowling well in the death overs.