IPL 2023: “Matheesha Pathirana is a Bit Trickier to Face Than Lasith Malinga”- Sikandar Raza
CSK pacer Matheesha Pathirana has troubled quality batters in the ongoing IPL 2023 with his unconventional bowling action. Punjab Kings’ all-rounder Sikandar Raza reckons Pathirana is a bit trickier to face compared to Veteran Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga as his arm comes from an even lower position.
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Sikandar Raza had faced young CSK pacer Matheesha Pathirana during the CSK vs PBKS game on April 30 at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. Raza was having an interaction with ESPN Cricinfo where he spoke about his experience of facing Pathirana for the first time.
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“Pathirana is a quality talent. I remember that [Lasith] Malinga was hard enough to face but Pathirana is just a bit trickier. His arm comes lower. Malinga was side on, I remember. On that wicket, with those cutters and his 145kph pace, you just didn’t know what’s coming,” Sikandar Raza said about Pathirana on ESPN Cricinfo.
“I was lucky to get those three runs:, Sikandar Raza
“Alhamdulillah, to be able to score those runs! I was just trying to find a boundary so I was lucky to get those three runs. I hit it into a gap. I guess when it’s your day, luck favours you in weird ways,” the PBKS all-rounder spoke about his knock against Chennai Super Kings.
Sikandar Raza took strike during the last over in the game against CSK while Punjab Kings were chasing 201. He faced Matheesha Pathirana as his team required 9 runs to win. It came down to three off the final delivery when Raza and Shahrukh Khan ran after the former struck a powerful shot toward the square leg region.
Pathirana has shown some brilliant form with the ball for the MS Dhoni-led side in the tournament. In IPL 2023, he has played 9 games for CSK and has scalped 13 crucial wickets with an average of 20.62 and an exceptional economy rate of 7.81 with the best figures of 3 for 15.
Matheesha Pathirana usually comes to bowl in the second half of the innings as MS Dhoni has used him mostly in the death overs. With his unconventional bowling action, the CSK pacer has got immense success in the most intense situations of the game.
