'MS Dhoni Told Me That...', Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana On CSK Captain's Life-Changing Advice

Matheesha Pathirana has found a new mentor in Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni while playing under him in sixteenth edition of Indian Premier League.

MS Dhoni with Matheesha Pathirana. (Source: Twitter)

Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana played a big role in helping Chennai Super Kings (CSK) win the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) trophy. Pathirana turned out to be CSK's go-to man whenever the wicket was needed. Skipper MS Dhoni used Pathirana quite well. His unique Lasith Malinga-like action is hard to pick and his pace has also helped him massively in IPL and iternational cricket. Dhoni has a big role in Pathirana's development as a cricketer. Pathirana'a family had also met Dhoni during the league. Dhoni had advised Pathirana to never think about playing Test cricket. It could be to do with his action which may break his body while bowling 10 to 15 overs a day.

Colombo Strikers' Pathirana played under the captaincy of Dhoni in the Indian league and termed the experience as a big learning point for him. "As a youngster, if someone gives you confidence like that, it boosts your career. A player of that level showed faith in me and I believed I can do anything in that moment. Not only me, Dhoni gave confidence to all of us. There were 4-5 top players who were injured and he showed his trust in youngsters which was great," commented Pathirana.

He added, "I learned a lot from Dhoni. The first thing is humbleness and that's why he is very successful. He is 42 and still the fittest cricketer which is really inspiring. When I went there, I was a kid and no one knew me and they trained and taught me several things. Now, I know how to perform in any T20 game and how to balance my four overs in a match. Dhoni told me if I keep my body away from injury then I can achieve a lot for the team and the country."

The bowler is also inspired by another superstar from the world of sports, Cristiano Ronaldo. He revealed, "We all know Cristiano Ronaldo and I am a fan of the footballer. So, I got inspired by his new celebration and now I am doing it as well. Pathirana has taken 12 wickets in the LPL 2023 so far while playing for Strikers.