IPL 2023: Ruturaj Gaikwad thankful Matheesha Pathirana is in CSK

Chennai Super Kings pacer Matheesha Pathirana came in for universal praise after his best-ever T20 efforts of three for 15 helped set the platform for a six-wicket win for his side over Mumbai Indians on Saturday.

Matheesha Pathirana of Chennai Super Kings. | Photo Credit: AP

Chennai Super Kings pacer Matheesha Pathirana came in for universal praise after his best-ever T20 efforts of three for 15 helped set the platform for a six-wicket win for his side over Mumbai Indians on Saturday.

Super King opener Ruturaj Gaikwad said he was thankful that he is on the same side as the Sri Lankan and spoke about the challenge of facing the 20-year-old during practice.

“In nets, I have faced only 10-12 balls, and I was like, ‘I don’t want to face him,” Gaikwad quipped after the match.

“Obviously, he is tough to pick. The first thing is you are finding where it is coming from, and the second thing is judging the line and length, so you are always slightly late when facing him. Thankfully he is in our team,” he added.

Mumbai Indians batter Nehal Wadhera, who top-scored for his team with a fighting half-century, also felt it takes time to get used to the Sri Lankan’s point of delivery.

“This was the first time I faced a bowler who bowls from such a wide angle. It was difficult to pick, I couldn’t see the ball properly because I expected him to bowl from here, but the angle was even lower. But I am confident I will have better plans next time,” said Wadhera. 

Commenting on the match, Wadhera, who scored 64, felt his team was 20 runs short on a slow Chepauk pitch.

“After we lost three early wickets, I knew I needed to bat till the 16th over, minimise the risks, and just try to hit the loose balls away. If we had 20 runs more on the board, the game could have been different,” he said.