MS Dhoni showed faith in me and I believed I could do anything: Matheesha Pathirana | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Beginning his cricketing career under the shadow of MS Dhoni, Matheesha Pathirana is making rapid strides in the shortest format of the game and the 20-year-old credited the legendary former Indian skipper for his tremendous success in such short span of time.

Rising star Pathirana, who joined Chennai Super Kings in 2022, played a key role in Dhoni-led side winning the IPL title in 2023.
Colombo Strikers‘ Pathirana, currently the joint-highest wicket-taker in the ongoing Lanka Premier League said Dhoni taught him to how to perform well in T20 cricket.

“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,” said Pathirana in a media release.
“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,” Pathirana added.
Pathirana has so far taken 12 wickets in the ongoing LPL.
In the IPL, Pathirana has featured in 14 matches across two seasons and has 21 wickets to his name.