Chennai Super Kings are anxiously monitoring the fitness of pacer Matheesha Pathirana ahead of their IPL 2024 clash against Kolkata Knight Riders at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday (April 8).
Pathirana, who recently recovered from a grade 1 hamstring injury, was sidelined for CSK’s previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad due to a minor issue, as disclosed by skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad during the toss last Friday (April 5).
The 21-year-old Sri Lankan bowler sustained the hamstring injury during a T20I against Bangladesh last month, forcing him out of subsequent matches, including the IPL opener.
Despite his swift return to action in the IPL, where he made an impact as a substitute player in two matches, claiming four wickets, Pathirana missed the recent encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad due to the lingering issue.
His absence, along with Mustafizur Rahman’s unavailability, was felt by CSK in the last game, but their potential return would provide a significant boost to the team.
Although Pathirana was seen bowling in the nets on Sunday, CSK’s bowling coach Eric Simons remained tight-lipped about his availability for the upcoming match against KKR. Simons emphasized that Pathirana’s participation would depend on the physio’s clearance, highlighting the team’s cautious approach to avoid risking his fitness in the long IPL tournament.
“Regarding Pathirana, yes, it’s a long tournament. We wanted to be conservative with the decision surrounding him. So, whether he’ll play in the next match is up to the physios to decide,” he said.
