Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni is of the opinion that the 20-year-old Sri Lankan slinger Matheesha Pathirana should focus on only white-ball cricket and stay away from red-ball cricket.
Pathirana who has emerged as one of the aces in Dhoni’s bowling attack in this year’s IPL, produced a match-winning spell (3/15) against Mumbai Indians at Chepauk on Saturday (06th May).
His eye-catching performance not only enhanced his reputation as a death-over specialist but also earned heaps of praise from his skipper MS Dhoni. In the post-match presentation, Dhoni stated his opinion on how to manage the workload of Pathirana to get maximum use from him.
“I personally think he is not someone who should play a lot of red-ball cricket. I think he shouldn’t even get close to it. Even in white-ball cricket, the 50-over version he should play as less as possible. He should play in the big ICC tournaments because he is not somebody who will change a lot. Having an impact in short bursts is what he will do, so you can always use him at crucial times.” Dhoni said.
“But make sure that he is fit and available for all ICC tournaments and he will be a great asset for Sri Lanka. Not to forget, he is a really young boy. Last time [in 2022], when he came, he was slightly leaner, but he has added muscle, which means he has got pretty strong. I feel he will serve for a very long time for Sri Lankan cricket, but we’ll have to keep an eye on how much he bowls.” Dhoni further added.
Pathirana has played seven games so far in the tournament and managed to pick up 10 wickets – all at the death overs – with an economy rate of 7.60.
