Chennai Super Kings are sitting quite comfortably at the top of the table with 5 wins in 7 matches. With so many injuries especially to their fast bowlers, things were looking bleak for the 4-time IPL champions. The death bowling was the major concern for them in the marquee tournament.
But in steps, the 20-year-old fast bowler from Sri Lanka. Matheesha Pathirana has been the standout death bowler for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2023. The youngster has been given the most difficult job of bowling at the death but he has taken this task like a fish to the water. Just as CSK unearthed a gem in Ruturaj at the end of the 2020 IPL, they found a future prospect in Pathirana during the last IPL. Following Milne’s hamstring injury against Kolkata Knight Riders, Pathirana who was a reserve player for CSK in 2021, was signed up for INR 20 lakh and replaced Milne in the squad for the remainder of the 2022 season. He played the last few games and impressed everyone. Pathirana deceived Shubman Gill with his first IPL ball, a yorker, and then the in-form Hardik Pandya with his next ball, a slower ball.
Pathirana is very difficult to face. His unusual slingy action makes him difficult to cope with as the ball skids on through the surface and comes quickly. His low arm action makes it difficult for the batters to understand the trajectory of the ball. All these attributes combined with a lethal yorker and an accurate bouncer makes him even more threatening.
When Pathirana was just 17-18 years old, MS Dhoni watched the video of him and was impressed by his bowling. He told Pathirana to get vaccinated and join the team in Dubai in 2020. Since then, the young Sri Lankan is repaying the trust shown by MS Dhoni and the CSK management. In the 2 years that he was warming the bench for CSK, the young prodigy was being molded into a finished product under the CSK roof.
How CSK molded Pathirana
The Chennai coaching group also worked with him on a variety of technical and tactical elements of his game. Eric Simons, the bowling coach of CSK told how they groomed raw Pathirana.
“We focused on three areas: His seam position, his accuracy of execution, and match tactics,” said Simons. “We worked a lot on his seam position, even within his unique action, with drills into a baseball glove using a red and white ball. He was enthusiastic about this, as I sensed it was not something he has really been conscious about before. He enjoyed the work. As he did this more and more, his accuracy also improved which was a second key focus.
“All our bowling reviews, practice, and match, are based purely on execution of the tactic and not the outcome of the delivery in the battle with the batter. We focus purely on the target and only assess the outcome based on the accuracy of the execution. This focus builds greater accuracy and then gives the bowler a greater understanding of which balls he is proficient at. Importantly, it gives him greater confidence going into a match, and also greater insight into what tactics a bowler can deliver on, for us to build his game plan. Then we worked on that plan. Tactical conversations about using his accurate deliveries, his unique action, and how to bowl in different phases. For example, how to use tactics and field placings to disrupt a partnership that is building momentum.”
Pathirana has a slingy low arm action reminiscent of the fellow
Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga. Often touted as ‘Baby Malinga’, he is nailing his role to perfection. Pathirana has been miserly conceding runs at an economy of 7.58 runs in this IPL. While other bowlers are going for runs, Dhoni can always count on the youngster to deliver the goods for his side. In a high-scoring game against RCB, the ‘Baby Malinga’ held his composure at the death stopping RCB from chasing the total. His spectacular death bowling masterclass earned praise from the greatest death bowler in world cricket: Lasith Malinga. Malinga hailed his quality of maintaining calmness under pressure and delivering yorkers at will. On a pitch a total of 421 runs were scored in the game between CSK and KKR, he returned with the figures of 2-32 against the likes of Rinku Singh and Andre Russell.
The youngster does not want to be looked upon as the ‘Baby Malinga. Rather, Pathirana wants to create his own identity. Pathirana has had a strong start to his IPL career. He might go for runs in a few matches. But he has the calmness and a good head on his shoulders. Under the wings of Dhoni and the CSK management, he is about to soar high in the cricketing world and create a name for himself in the upcoming decade.
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