His poor spell helped Bangladesh bring down the equation to just 12 in the final over after needing 106 runs in eight overs.
A Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star had a terrible outing right ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024). Playing in the ongoing BAN vs SL T20I series, the CSK pacer conceded a staggering 34 runs during his two overs at the death in the series opener.
Roped in by CSK ahead of the IPL 2022 season, Matheesha Pathirana was a pivotal cog in CSK’s title-winning campaign last season, picking up 19 wickets. However, his franchise will be a tad worried, given his recent performance.
Pathirana endured a difficult spell in the first T20I against Bangladesh as Sri Lanka almost conceded the game despite reducing the hosts to 68/4 at one time, defending 206 runs.
Although the pacer with Malinga-like slinging action bowled a brilliant over where he picked up a wicket for just two runs, the pressure got to the 21-year-old Pathirana as well as he bowled as many as nine wides and three no-balls making it a massive 36-ball spell in a T20I.
After conceding only two runs in his first over, he ended the match with figures of 1/56 in his four overs, wherein he leaked 34 runs from his two overs at the death. Such was the impact of his and Sri Lanka’s poor bowling that it helped Bangladesh bring down the equation to just 12 in the final over after needing 106 runs in eight overs.
However, the visitors managed to prevail in the end, wrapping up the match by a narrow margin of 3 runs and taking a 1-0 lead in the 3-match T20I series.
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It was certainly a night to forget for Pathirana who is slated to feature for CSK yet again in the upcoming season of IPL, slated to start from March 22.
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