Picture Credit: Instagram
The Chennai Super Kings have had a terrible season both on and off the field. But despite these tough times, they have had some gems who could be stars in the future. One such player who could be a CSK mainstay is Sri Lanka fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana.
The youngster has an action identical to Lankan great Lasith Malinga and has brought on some serious pace. Pathirana was a problem for the Gujarat batters on his debut and has similarly troubled his teammates during their training sessions. In a recent video posted by CSK, the young Sri Lankan is seen tormenting one of his teammates with a sharp bouncer.
"It's only a nickname to me. I'm Matheesha and not Malinga," Pathirana
After his debut, Pathirana talked about how he admires Lasith Malinga as an idol and has embraced the nickname of ‘baby Malinga’ without any pressure. While talking to CSK TV he said, “When I started bowling, my coaches told me my action and hand position is like Lasith Malinga. I thought about that. I thought I can do something. I tried and watched Malinga’s videos. I tried that. That's how I started.”
"My first bowling idol is Malinga. I think my whole world is Lasith Malinga. I have met him only once. But I'm going to meet him soon. We haven't had too many conversations. We met and he taught me to be aggressive. I don't feel the pressure. It's only a nickname to me. I'm Matheesha and not Malinga. I want to be Matheesha.”
“I told my mom, father and my two sisters. They were really happy," Pathirana
He also talked about the excitement he felt when he got the call to play for CSK after going unsold in the auction. He said, “After the Under 19 World Cup, I registered in the IPL auction. I watched it. I was not picked up. But I was so excited when they called me to CSK after Adam Milne was injured. I'm really excited about that moment.”
“I told my mom, father and my two sisters. They were really happy. I was also really happy. I think it was a very happy moment in my life. I was trying to play at this level but not at 19. I planned it for before 25. But, I got the chance to play at 19. That's a very big achievement.”