Sri Lanka should learn from Dhoni how to handle rising superstar Pathirana

• He could be a key figure in Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup plans

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq   

If Sri Lanka has any dreams of making it to the final of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup let alone winning it, one of the key figures in their quest to achieve that goal no doubt will be the fast-rising superstar fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana, who is currently making waves with champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

Under the experienced and watchful eyes of former India and CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Pathirana has improved in leaps and bounds with his slinging bowling action compared to another former Sri Lankan legendary fast bowler Lasith Malinga.

On Sunday, Malinga who is the bowling coach of Mumbai Indians sat and watched helplessly the bowler dubbed as ‘Baby Malinga’ destroy the Mumbai batting with four top order wickets to give CSK a win by 20 runs in this high-octane clash at the Wankhede Stadium, and pick up the Player of the Match award. The meeting between these two sides is considered the biggest rivalry in the IPL because they have each won the title on five occasions, a record which no other team can match.

If it was Dhoni’s 20 runs struck off the last four balls of the CSK innings that made the difference in the result, Pathirana’s destructive bowling was the key factor in their victory.

Hardik Pandiya, the Mumbai skipper during the post-match presentation admitted that the total of 207 was definitely chaseable but lauded Pathirana’s efforts with the ball and Dhoni’s valuable guidance from behind the wickets that made the difference.

“Definitely gettable. But they bowled pretty well and Pathirana was the difference,” said Pandiya. “They were smart with their plans and used the longer boundary well. They got the hang of it, and they have a man behind the stumps telling them what’s working.” 

CSK’s win halted Mumbai’s winning streak at their home ground as they clinched their fourth and first away win of the season.

Pathirana’s final figures of 4/28 was his best for CSK and it included the wickets of Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Romario Shepherd. His four overs, two in the death, conceded only four boundaries.

It seems that Pathirana has an affection towards Mumbai for his previous Player of the Match award was also won against them in 2023 when he took 3/15.

A day prior to the match a hamstring niggle had kept Pathirana off the field. He played two matches before being sidelined and head coach Stephen Fleming wanted to play him against Mumbai only if he was 100 percent fit. CSK was keen to have Pathirana in their eleven because their death bowling had cost them games in the past. His pinpoint yorkers and change of pace have been hard to get away and what impressed one and all including Dhoni most was his temperament under pressure. Dhoni even suggested that Pathirana “shouldn’t even get close to red-ball cricket.”

When Mumbai openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan had blitzed their way to 70 off seven overs, Pathirana was handed the ball by CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and the rest is history.

Pathirana has come a long way since being spotted by Dhoni in 2020 as an unknown 17-year-old, who eventually has become an important CSK member.

“CSK is very special to me. CSK changed my life completely. Before the IPL nobody recognised me, but now I’m one of the best bowlers of Sri Lanka. I’m very grateful to CSK for everything,” said 21-year-old Pathirana. 

From being a tearaway fast bowler, whose unorthodox action saw him concede many wides, Pathirana has been working on his accuracy with CSK bowling consultant Eric Simons.

“I give him a target and tell him to hit the target. How he does it, he works his own technique out for himself. That’s how we do it. I give him a glove, hit the glove. I give him a target at the bottom of the pitch, he hits the target,” Simons explained.

“When you’ve watched someone a lot you pick up little things and act like a mirror almost for some people, and you see something’s a bit different. I don’t try and coach internally. I don’t tell him how to do it, I tell him what to do and he tries and works it himself. His accuracy tonight was the most rewarding for me. Allow him to be unique, don’t try to figure him out.”

“I was really pleased with his accuracy tonight, he was outstanding. I said to him afterwards, the wickets are a bonus, but his accuracy was really good. Sometimes you’ll bowl accurately but not get wickets. Tonight, he was accurate and got wickets.”

Pathirana is turning out to be a prized possession and Sri Lanka must carefully nurture him as CSK are doing right now if they are to get the best out of his rare talent. Sri Lanka should learn from Dhoni how to handle this rising superstar and try to keep him free from injury.