MS Dhoni: 'Pathirana shouldn't even get close to red-ball cricket'

Matheesha Pathirana "shouldn't even get close" to red-ball cricket, in the opinion of MS Dhoni, his captain at Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2023.

Pathirana, a new-gen version of Lasith Malinga, has emerged as one of the aces in Dhoni's pack in the IPL, and picked up three wickets for just 15 runs against Mumbai Indians at Chepauk on Saturday, bowling all his overs in the back-half of the innings.

"I personally think he is not someone who should play a lot of red-ball cricket," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation, almost like a plea to the powers-that-be in Sri Lankan cricket. "I think he shouldn't even get close to it. Even in white-ball cricket, the 50-over version he should play as less as possible. [He should] play the big ICC tournaments because he is not somebody who will change a lot. This [having an impact in short bursts] is what he will do, so you can always use him at crucial times.

"But make sure that he is fit and available for all ICC tournaments and he will be a great asset for Sri Lanka. Not to forget, he is a really young boy. Last time [in 2022], when he came, he was slightly more lean, but he has added muscle, which means he has got pretty strong. I feel he will serve for a very long time for Sri Lankan cricket, but we'll have to keep an eye on how much he bowls."

Pathirana was unsold in the auction ahead of IPL 2022, but was drafted in by CSK after Adam Milne was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Last season, he had played two games for CSK, picking up two wickets. This time, he has played seven games, in which he has picked up ten wickets - all at the death - at an economy rate of 7.60, the last number made even more remarkable by the fact that he has bowled only four of his 27.2 overs this season before the 12th.

"People who don't have very clean [conventional] action, batsmen find it difficult to pick them - in a format like this, where you have to go after the bowler, it makes it slightly difficult," Dhoni said. "That is just on the action part, we are not talking about the pace that he bowls [at], the variations he has and the consistency he has got. All of it makes him special. What is important is to keep an eye on how much cricket he is playing."

It was CSK's third win in five games at Chepauk this season, but only the second 3.30pm game that was played at the venue. With rain forecast for the evening, Dhoni said he was not sure about his decision at the toss but went with the view of the majority of the CSK think tank and chose to field.

"Frankly I was slightly doubtful. What I wanted was I wanted to bat first. But the think tank together said there are chances of rain," he said. "I had a simple calculation. I said 3:30pm the game starts. Let's say you win the toss and if you are batting first, maximum in one-and-a-half to two hours the game gets over. By the time rain comes, major part of the game would be done with. I was slightly outnumbered, and I said let's go with the majority.

"If there is some kind of confusion, we sit and talk about [it]. It is not about who has said what. Ultimately, we try to decide what is best for the team and you go with the majority. It was slightly confusing because I felt the wicket will slow down and it has always been very good initially to bat on. So I strongly felt that even if rain comes, majority of the game will be done and it won't have an impact on the game directly."

CSK have two more home games left - against Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders - and an away game in Delhi to end the league stage.