On Saturday, during the match number 49 of the IPL 2023 against Mumbai Indians, MS Dhoni, the captain of Chennai Super Kings, provided a piece of guidance to the young Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana.
He advised the young Sri Lankan prodigy to avoid playing red-ball cricket. Pathirana, who is only 20 years old and has a distinctive sling arm action, earned the nickname “Baby Malinga” due to his emulation of the legendary Sri Lankan bowler’s action. He was declared the man of the match after taking three wickets for just 15 runs in CSK’s six-wicket triumph.
MS Dhoni took into account the bowler’s sling action, which may make him more susceptible to injuries, as he advised Pathirana and the Sri Lankan cricket authorities to avoid using him in all formats of the game.
During the post-match presentation, MS Dhoni commented that bowlers with unconventional actions can be difficult for batters to read due to their lack of a clean action.
“People who don’t have any clean action, batters have a difficult time picking it. But his consistency, pace makes him special,” said MS Dhoni.
However, he also praised Pathirana’s consistency and pace, which he feels make him a unique talent. Dhoni advised Pathirana to stay away from red-ball cricket and only participate in ICC tournaments.
“I feel he should not play red-ball cricket, not even get close to it, he can play only ICC tournaments. He is young and he would be a great asset for Sri Lankan cricket,” added the legendary former India captain.
He believes that Pathirana, who has gained strength since his last visit, can be a valuable asset for Sri Lankan cricket.
Dhoni won the toss and decided to bowl first, although he had originally planned to bat first. He mentioned that his decision was not in accordance with the majority opinion in the team meeting.
Mumbai Indians, led by Rohit Sharma, were put in to bat first and could only manage to score 139 for eight in their allotted 20 overs, which was below par. Chennai Super Kings then chased down the target of 140 in just 17.4 overs to secure a comfortable 6 wickets victory over the 5 times champions.
