CSK skipper MS Dhoni has special advice for Sri Lankan sensation Matheesha Pathirana after his heroics against MI in IPL 2023

At the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Matheesha Pathirana was in excellent shape throughout Chennai Super Kings' six-wicket triumph over Mumbai Indians in Match 49 of the IPL 2023. The Sri Lankan speedster held Mumbai to 139/8 within 20 overs while taking three wickets within four overs and allowing only 15 runs to be scored. 

Along with Pathirana, Deepak Chahar and Tushar Deshpande did their part well, each receiving two dismissals. MI's batting collapsed while this was happening, with Nehal Wadhera's notable 64 runs from 51 balls being the only bright spot. Thanks to some strong batting by Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Shivam Dube, CSK scored 140/4 in 17.4 overs while attempting to chase down a target of 140 runs. Seasoned spinner Piyush Chawla claimed two wickets for MI's bowling unit as he continued his excellent form in the tournament.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s advice for Matheesha Pathirana

Pathirana, who has a unique bowling motion and has 10 wickets so far in 15 games, is MS Dhoni's go-to player in pressure situations. Dhoni gave Pathirana some specific counsel and a caution following CSK's victory over MI. 

Dhoni spoke about his unique action and how it’s different and suggested what he should do in the future. He said,

“People who don't have very clean (conventional) action, batsmen have a difficult time picking it and when trying to go after the bowler. But his consistency, variation, pace makes him special. What's important is to keep an eye on how much cricket he is playing. 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"

The Chennai Super Kings skipper then spoke about how the Sri Lankan pacer has improved already from last season. He said,

“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. 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.”