Who is Matheesha Pathirana? CSK's new recruit in IPL 2022

Chennai Super Kings (CSK), on Thursday (April 21) announced Matheesha Pathirana as the replacement player for the injured Adam Milne. The 19-year-old Sri Lankan pacer has been a part of the franchise as a reserve player since IPL 2020, and has been included in the squad for the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The youngster was a part of the Sri Lankan squad recently for the U19 World Cup in West Indies. In the four matches that he played, he scalped seven wickets at an economy of 6.16. His bowling technique is similar to that of Sri Lankan pace icon Lasith Malinga, and thus he is fondly known as ‘Next Lasith Malinga’, or ‘Junior Lasith Malinga’ and he can also produce late-tailing yorkers.

Pathirana grabbed the spotlight during the 2020 U19 World Cup when he delivered a fierce 175 kmph delivery to India’s Yashsvi Jaiswal during their match in South Africa. He made the headlines for the same reason but it was later revealed that it was a glitch in the system.

Pathirana has been signed at a base price of INR 20 lakh

He has been under CSK’s radar for quite some time now, and he must have surely impressed the coaches to get a permanent spot in this leg. Pathirana was, back then, joined by another Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana, who made his way into the squad this year. The young gun has played only two T20 games in his career and has a couple of wickets in his bag.

Adam Milne suffered a hamstring injury during CSK’s first game against the Kolkata Knight Riders in the season opener last month, and as a result, was ruled out of the entire season of IPL. Pathirana has been roped in at a base price of INR 20.0L

Pathirana is the first player to have joined CSK in the IPL 2022 as a replacement. The franchise did not announce a replacement for the injured Deepak Chahar after he faced another injury at the NCA in Bengaluru which ruled him out of the entire season, and from the sport for the next four months.