He has scalped four wickets in two matches so far.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) youngster Matheesha Pathirana has hailed the legendary wicketkeeper-batter Mahendra Singh Dhoni as his “cricketing father.” The Sri Lankan pacer discussed the former captain’s contribution to his career in a documentary by CSK.
The 22-year-old joined the franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as a replacement for Adam Milne. Since then, he has been one of the core players of the team. The right-arm pacer was the only overseas retention by CSK before the IPL 2025 auction.
In the video, he has reckoned Dhoni as his father, because of the care and guidance he has received from Dhoni while playing in the IPL.
“Dhoni is like my father, because of the support and the mentorship and the guidance he is giving me when I’m in CSK. It’s very similar to what my father did in my home. That’s why I consider Dhoni my cricketing father,” said Pathirana.
The young player also revealed his first reaction when he met the former CSK captain.
He mentioned that Dhoni asked him, “Hi, Mali. How are you?”
Dhoni might have called him “Mali” to refer to his Lasith Malinga-like bowling action. Coincidentally, it became more special to the youngster, as the word means brother in his native language.
“It is very familiar to me, because when we are in Sri Lanka, Mali means the younger brother. So that kind of legend calls me “Mali”, wow, that’s so good,” explained Pathirana.
ALSO READ:
Since his debut in 2022, he has bagged 32 wickets in 20 IPL matches at an impressive economy rate of 7.89. Last year, he scalped 13 wickets in just six matches and also registered his best figures in the IPL so far. He took a four-wicket haul against the Mumbai Indians and also became the second-highest wicket-taker for CSK that season.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
