[Watch] Tilak Varma's Brief Cameo Ends As Pathirana Deceives Him With A Beauty
Pathirana dismissed Tilak Varma in MI vs CSK [AP]
Young Sri Lankan speedster Matheesha Pathirana had a dream outing with the ball in Chennai Super Kings' ongoing IPL 2024 encounter against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Coming as the impact substitute, the talented seamer turned the game completely in his side's favour, scalping crucial wickets of Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma.
Chasing a whopping 206-run target, Mumbai Indians were off to a flyer, with Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan capitalising on the powerplay field restrictions.
However, the game started tilting towards CSK once Pathirana dismissed Ishan and followed it up with the huge wicket of Suryakumar Yadav.
When Tilak Varma was forming a consolidating stand with Rohit, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad turned up to the Lankan star in pursuit of a breakthrough. Known for his unique bowling action, Pathirana didn't disappoint his captain, getting rid of Tilak with a magical delivery.
After conceding a boundary off his third ball, Pathirana bowled a slightly off-pace delivery, taking Varma by surprise. The stylish southpaw, under the pressure of a demanding required run rate, miscued a lofted shot and was eventually caught by Shardul Thakur.
After Tilak departed, CSK managed to get Hardik Pandya cheaply, pushing the hosts to the verge of defeat. As of writing, MI were in a spot of bother, placed at 148 for five, still needing 59 runs off 21 balls to win this high-octane clash.