Sri Lankan cricketer Matheesha Pathirana is currently playing for Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has been one of the standout performers for CSK this season. He has picked up 4/60 in two matches at an average of 15.
During the match against the Delhi Capitals (DC) on March 31, Pathirana showcased his talent for CSK, not only with his exceptional catch but also with his bowling prowess. He claimed three crucial wickets to dismiss Rishabh Pant, Mitchell Marsh, and Tristan Stubbs and ended with figures of 4-0-31-3. Pathirana's exceptional catching effort to dismiss David Warner would surely have left the Vizag crowd in awe. He ended Warner’s innings for 52. The intense took place in the 10th over. At that time, Bangladeshi cricketer and CSK bowler Mustafizur Rahman delivered the breakthrough.
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After the match, one of the fans wrote on Instagram, “This is the first time a Sri Lankan has helped a Bangladeshi.”
“That’s why he did not celebrate the catch,” another fan wrote.
After a while, Pathirana found the hilarious post and made it his Instagram story to share his reply. He wrote, “Oh god. But the catch is mind-blowing.”
Since the intense clash during the Nidahas Trophy in 2018, the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka rivalry has evolved significantly. The World Cup 2023 match in New Delhi marked by Angelo Mathews' timed-out dismissal further fueled tensions between the two teams. During the recent T20I and ODI series in Bangladesh, both sides even mimicked the timed-out incident. This rivalry has now spilt over into the ongoing IPL 2024. Both Mustafizur and Pathirana are representing CSK in the tournament.
Despite Pathirana's impressive performance, DC had set a challenging target of 191 runs on the scoreboard. In reply, CSK could only manage to reach 171 for 6.
Mustafizur currently leads the bowling charts in IPL 2024. He snapped up seven wickets in three games at an economy rate of 8.83. He also leads this year's race for purple cap.
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