IPL 2023: MS Dhoni Meets Matheesha Pathirana’s Family In Chennai Ahead Of Final, Pics Go Viral

MS Dhoni also got into a major argument with the umpires in the Qualifier 1 against GT and could risk copping a ban from the IPL 2023 final for his lengthy debate with the officials to let Matheesha Pathirana bowl 16th over of the match.

Source: Twitter

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni has been one of the biggest supporters of young Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana, especially throughout the IPL 2023. Even when Pathirana conceded a boundary off the final delivery against Punjab Kings to lose a match Chepauk earlier this season, Dhoni was the first to put an arm around the young pacer.

The 20-year-old, who has bowling action very similar to Mumbai Indians and Lankan legend Lasith Malinga, has lived up to Dhoni’s faith by claiming 17 wickets in 11 matches so far. Dhoni met Pathirana’s family in Chennai after winning the Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans earlier this week.

“Now we are sure that malli is in safe hands when thala said “You have nothing to worry about Matheesha, he’s always with me,” Pathirana’s sister Vishuka said on Instagram along with photos of Dhoni and their family.

Check pics of MS Dhoni with Matheesha Pathirana’s family HERE…

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A post shared by Vishuka Pathirana (@vishuka_pathirana)

It was Dhoni, in fact, who spotted the 20-year-old early and brought him into the CSK fold. “Pathirana is an excellent death bowler. Also, with his action, it is slightly difficult to pick. He has got that slower one also. So you have to watch him very carefully. Which means when you spend those extra seconds watching the ball and he is bowling at a decent pace, it becomes quite difficult to consistently hit him,” Dhoni had said earlier in IPL 2023.

Dhoni also got into a major argument with the umpires in the Qualifier 1 against GT and could risk copping a ban from the IPL 2023 final for his lengthy debate with the officials. Pathirana had been off the field for 4 minutes and the umpires were refusing him to bowl the 16th over of the innings against GT.

MS Dhoni had a chat with Umpires.

What were they discussing here _#CSKvsGT pic.twitter.com/hlw239o62r — 12th Khiladi (@12th_khiladi) May 23, 2023

The incident took place when CSK bowler Matheesha Pathirana, who returned 4-0-37-2 while accounting for the dangerous Vijay Shankar and Mohammed Shami, was not allowed to bowl his second spell at the death.

The Sri Lankan had left the field in the second half of the Titans' chase for the treatment of an undisclosed niggle. Pathirana had bowled his first, and overall 12th over, in the innings before leaving the field.

As per the IPL playing conditions, any player who leaves the field for more than eight minutes, must be on the field for a similar amount of time after returning, post which he is allowed to bowl. But as Pathirana returned, he was asked to bowl the 16th over with Gujarat Titans needing another 71 to win from 30 balls, having crawled to 102 for six.

In all these discussions, the four minutes elapsed and Pathirana was allowed to bowl with permissible time of eight minutes being already over. While Pathirana didn't get a wicket in that over, he did get a wicket in his very next over, the dangerous Vijay Shankar to tilt the match in CSK's favour.