Chennai Super Kings (CSK) young pacer Matheesha Pathirana revealed the conversation with skipper MS Dhoni during the mid-innings against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and how Dhoni motivated him to bowl in the death overs against Faf du Plessis-led side.
The four-time champions were in a spot of bother when Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis took the CSK bowlers to cleaners in the powerplay and the middle overs, as RCB looked like winning the match before they lost their hard-hitter Maxwell and skipper Faf du Plessis in the quick succession.
The middle order lineup of Royal Challengers Bangalore crumbled under pressure in the final few overs, as they lost wickets in quick succession with Dinesh Karthik, Shabaz Ahmed, and Wayne Parnell could not finish the game for the Bangalore side.
“After the first innings, our captain said that this was a good score for us but he told us not to take it too easy because of the wicket and ground conditions. It is very easy to chase the target,” Matheesha Pathirana said.
The Baby Malinga was impressive in the end overs of Chennai Super Kings, as he held his nerves to bowl the important 18th and 20th over for his side. The Sri Lankan pacer played his first game of the season–and was equally impressive for the four-time champions. He conceded only 14 runs in his final two overs and picked an important wicket of Shabaz Ahmed and Suyash Prabhudessai.
In IPL 2022, Matheesha Pathirana made his IPL debut last year against the Gujarat Titans, where he dismissed Shubman Gill on his very first ball and then got rid of GT skipper Hardik Pandya to make a mark in the cash-rich league.
MS Dhoni Asked Me To Be Calm And Trust My Strength – Matheesha Pathirana
Matheesha Pathirana said that Dhoni wanted the team to be calm in their approach as Royal Challengers Bangalore went all guns blazing despite losing their star opener Virat Kohli and Mahipal Lomror inside the powerplay overs. He also advised him to believe in his strength and try to execute his plan in the death overs.
“After the powerplay, they scored 75-odd runs. After that, the captain spoke to us and he told us not to panic because, in cricket, things can be good and bad as well. He said ‘Be calm’. After my 2 overs, I think I gave away 28 runs. After those two overs, I was a bit nervous. Our captain came and told me not to worry. He asked me to be calm and trust my strength and I think I did that,” Matheesha Pathirana added.
Chennai Super Kings registered three victories from five games in the league stage and they will look to continue their winning momentum against 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad at the home ground, Chepauk on April 21.