Sri Lanka assistant coach Naveed Nawaz mentioned that Indian Premier League (IPL) alternatives with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) helped the younger tempo sensation Matheesha Pathirana turn into a extra mature participant underneath the management of MS Dhoni. India will tackle Sri Lanka of their second Super Four Asia Cup match on Tuesday. Sri Lanka received their first Super Four match towards Bangladesh and therefore have a slight edge over India, whose destiny in Super Four will obtain both a lift or dent after the results of the high-profile conflict between India-Pakistan conflict comes out after the reserve day immediately. A loss or washout will get India just one level and make matches towards Sri Lanka and Bangladesh must-win ones.

Nawaz first mentioned that although IPL and MS helped in Pathirana’s growth, he’s at the beginning a product of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

“MS Dhoni and Chennai could have played a part in his development, but Pathirana is the product of SLC. He has played two U19 World Cups for us. He is someone we identified at a young age. He has been in the development programmes of SLC,” mentioned Nawaz within the pre-match press convention.

But he additionally mentioned that enjoying IPL made the younger pacer, also known as ‘Baby Malinga’ for his sling-like motion much like Sri Lankan nice Lasith Malinga, a extra mature participant who may deal with the strain nicely.

“IPL opportunities have helped him mature his game. At 18-19, he got to play under a captain like MS Dhoni. I am sure that Matheesha would have learnt a lot from him about handling pressure, being in the centre during big CSK games. It is a good experience. We identified him at an early age, CSK saw something in him and picked up, but there is a contribution of them as well,” he mentioned.

Pathirana has represented CSK in 14 video games, taking 21 wickets at a mean of 20.14 with finest figures of three/15. In the 2023 season, he took 19 wickets at a mean of 12 video games with finest figures of three/15. He was the ninth-highest wicket-taker within the event and third-highest for CSK subsequent to Ravindra Jadeja (20) and Tushar Deshpande (21).

Currently, in Asia Cup 2023, he has taken eight matches at a mean of 19.12 and an financial system price of 5.70, with one of the best figures of 4/32. He is SL’s high wicket-taker within the event and general joint second-highest, with Pakistan’s Haris Rauf (9) on the high tied with Taskin Ahmed of Bangladesh.

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (travelling reserve).

Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanaka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Janith Perera, Kusal Mendis (vc), Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Matheesha Pathirana, Kasun Rajitha, Dushan Hemantha, Binura Fernando, Pramod Madushan.

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