Sri Lankan bowling duo Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana will join the four-time champions Chennai Super Kings on April 10, Monday ahead of their clash against Rajasthan Royals. The duo was part of the International duties for Sri Lanka as they played New Zealand in the three-match T20 series, which was completed on April 8.
The Sri Lankan youngsters were retained by the Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2023 mini-auction. Both players will be available for the selection for their next game scheduled on April 12.
Maheesh Theekshana was a bright spot for the Chennai Super Kings in 2022 as he played nine games for the Men in Yellow, scalping 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.46. Theekshana’s role will grow bigger this year, as CSK are set to play half their league games at spinning-friendly Chepauk Stadium.
Theekshana is one of the best T20 spinners in the world–and he had a solid T20 World Cup, taking 9 wickets in 8 innings at an average of 22.4 and an economy rate of 6.70 on Australian pitches. He could prove to be extremely valuable in the franchise’s home games at Chepauk.
Sri Lanka fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana, also known as ‘Baby Malinga’, made the headlines during the Under-19 World Cup last year. He was signed by CSK as a replacement for the injured Adam Milne in 2022 and was retained by the franchise for IPL 2023.
Pathirana made his IPL debut last year against the Gujarat Titans, where he dismissed Shubman Gill on his very first ball and dismissed GT skipper Hardik Pandya to make a mark in the cash-rich league. The youngsters who have been to a few leagues around the world would like to prove their worth in IPL 2023 when provided an opportunity.
Will Maheesh Theekshana Make an Impact In Chepauk?
Chepauk has been a fortress for Chennai Super Kings as visiting team finds it very difficult to beat them on home soil as they have quality spinners on their side. Theekshana will join the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santer, and Moeen Ali to form to spin bowling unit and he will look to contribute to the team’s success in the best way possible.
On the other hand, Pathirana could come in as a replacement for Pretorius or his Sri Lankan teammate Theekshana if the pitches assist the youngster.