Matheesha Pathirana mixed his lengths with variations in his pace and finished with 3-15 in four overs bowling at the death against Mumbai Indians. His performance not only enhanced his reputation of being this season’s death-over specialist but also drew praise from his captain MS Dhoni. He helped CSK in destroying the opposition lineup and restricting them to a low total.

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MS Dhoni about Matheesha Pathirana in the Post-Match Presentation:

“People who don’t have very conventional action, batsmen have a difficult time picking it and when trying to go after the bowler,” said Dhoni at the post-match presentation. “But his consistency, variation, pace makes him special. What’s important is to keep an eye on how much cricket he is playing,” he added.

Dhoni also said, “I feel he should not play red-ball cricket, not even get close to it, even play only ICC tournaments with ODIs and keep the rest as less as possible, because he’s not someone who’ll change a lot.”

“This is what he’ll do. So you can always use him at crucial times. But make sure he’s fit and available for all the ICC tournaments and he’ll be a great asset for Sri Lanka. Not to forget, he’s a really young boy. The last time he came, he was very lean but has put on muscle and is stronger. I feel he’ll serve for a long time in Sri Lankan cricket but he’ll have to keep an eye on how much he bowls,” Dhoni concluded.

Matheesha Pathirana has been brilliant this season for Chennai Super Kings. He has bowled especially in the death overs and has improved a lost form the last time. He has a similar style to Malinga who is the most successful bowler of IPL to date. Pathirana will be the player to watch out for the upcoming seasons. As Dhoni said, Matheesha Pathirana has to be in shape to be available for the big ICC events.