'Dhoni is preparing him for you': Harsha Bhogle sends warning to the cricket world

Renowned Indian cricket pundit Harsha Bhogle took to his official Twitter handle on Friday and warned the cricket world to be wary of a young pacer from Chennai Super Kings. Bhogle put out the tweet after noticing Sri Lankan youngster Matheesha Pathirana’s show for CSK against Sunrisers Hyderabad in match no. 29 of the Indian Premier League 2023. Making his second appearance in IPL 2023 for Chennai Super Kings, Pathirana returned with figures of 1/22 in four overs, having dismissed Heinrich Klassen in the first innings. 

The legendary MS Dhoni handed over the ball to the 20-year-old Pathirana in the 11th over of the match for his first spell. After bowling the 11th over, Pathirana then bowled the much-important 16th, 18th, and 20th over. Alongside the wicket, he leaked only 22 runs and finished with a strike rate of 5.50, despite bowling three overs in the death.

ALSO READ | IPL: MS Dhoni Compares CSK Bowler To Lasith Malinga; 'You May Play Him Everyday But..'

Meanwhile, reacting to Pathirana’s show against the Sunrisers, Bhogle mentioned that the Sri Lankan cricket fans have a gem of a player in him. He went on to warn the cricket world by saying that Pathirana is being trained by Dhoni himself. “Sri Lankan fans, you might have got a gem in Pathirana. Dhoni is preparing him for you,” Bhogle said.

Sri Lankan fans, you might have got a gem in Pathirana. Dhoni is preparing him for you! 😃

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha)

Is Matheesha Pathirana the next Lasith Malinga?

It is worth noting that, Pathirana has been compared to the Lankan legend Lastih Malinga ever since he entered the big leagues. He joined CSK in 2022 and proved to be a significant addition to the squad, courtesy of his Malinga-like round-arm bowling action. He has grabbed a total of five wickets in his young IPL career of only four games.

ALSO READ | LSG Vs GT IPL Live Score, Today Match Latest Updates: It's KL Rahul Vs Hardik Pandya!

After CSK defeated SRH by 7 wickets on Friday, MS Dhoni also compared Pathirana to Malinga in the post-match presentation show. “He has got variation, he has got good pace. We have seen with Malinga - someone who has awkward action and who is very consistent with line and length - it's difficult to score off him. Definitely, he has been a find and the last few overs he has been bowling, he has been a great asset,” the four-time IPL-winning captain said.