Chennai Super Kings are the four time champions of Indian Premier League and they are performing well in the current edition of the tournament. They have a strong batting lineup and also possess a talented bowling attack that includes players in the name of Akash Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana and others. CSK already has 11 points and they are on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs.Till now in this tournament, Matheesha Pathirana has shown potential with his performances in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2023.
The 20-year-old has taken seven wickets in the six matches he has played. His impressive bowling has caught the attention of former New Zealand cricketer Scott Styris.According to Scott Styris, Matheesha Pathirana has the potential to become a better fast bowler than the legendary Lasith Malinga. The 47-year-old said that Malinga was only at his peak for a limited time and he lost his charm over the years.”I think Pathirana could be better than Malinga. I accept that it’s a massive call because he’s too early in his career. He’s not as accurate as Malinga yet, but Malinga was at his best when he was bowling at 145 kph. And he only had about three or four years where that was the case,” Scott Styris told JioCinema.He further added,”When he had that speed, and then the change-ups came, you had to respect that pace. When his top speed was down to 135, you could probably look at the slower ball more and react to the yorkers.”Styris reflected that Pathirana could be an asset for the Sri Lankan team in future.
The former kiwi all-rounder said that Pathirana possess a good accuracy with the yorkers and that is the biggest weapon for him.”What we’ve seen with Pathirana is that he’s bowling at 145, 146, and 148 kph, so he has that natural advantage. He hits the yorkers pretty well. As he naturally evolves and gets more experience, he can hit those yorkers with that action as much as Malinga, but with a quicker speed and the ability for change-ups. He’s an exciting talent for Sri Lanka and an exciting talent for CSK,” Styris said.
