MS Dhoni praises Pathirana’s death-over specialist skills in Mumbai Indians match

In the first innings of the match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, Matheesha Pathirana, the pacer for Chennai Super Kings, gave an outstanding performance by baffling the Mumbai Indians’ batters at the end of the inning, and restricting the visitors to a score of 139.

On Saturday, Pathirana displayed his skills by mixing his lengths and varying his pace, which led him to finish with an impressive record of 3-15 in four overs, which he bowled at the death.

The remarkable performance of Pathirana not only strengthened his position as the death-over specialist of this season but also garnered commendations from his skipper, MS Dhoni.

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Dhoni, at the post-match presentation, explained that Pathirana’s unconventional action makes it difficult for the batsmen to pick his deliveries, especially when they are trying to attack the bowler. Dhoni also highlighted the consistency, variation, and pace that Pathirana possesses, which makes him an exceptional player. However, Dhoni suggested that it is crucial to keep an eye on how much cricket Pathirana plays.

Regarding Pathirana’s workload, Dhoni shared his opinion, stating that he believes Pathirana should not play red-ball cricket, not even come close to it, and only play ICC tournaments with ODIs. Additionally, Dhoni suggested that it is best to keep Pathirana’s workload to a minimum to prevent any potential injuries, as he is not someone who will change his style of play drastically.

Dhoni concluded by saying that Pathirana is a young player with a lot of potential and has shown significant growth since his last appearance. Dhoni believes that Pathirana will serve Sri Lankan cricket for a long time but emphasized the importance of keeping an eye on how much he bowls to avoid any injuries.