Matheesha Pathirana Ruled Out of First Half of IPL 2024

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been dealt a significant blow ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, as their star pacer Matheesha Pathirana has been ruled out for the first half of the season.

The defending champions are already grappling with injuries to their star opener, Devon Conway, who is expected to miss half of the season due to injury. Additionally, all-rounder Shivam Dube is still in the rehabilitation centre to complete his recovery.

In another blow to their campaign, Matheesha Pathirana, one of their top pacers who made a big impact in the 2023 season, had to leave the field midway through his spell due to a hamstring injury.

This happened during the second T20I match against Bangladesh. Pathirana was dealing with cramps in the first T20I, so the physio had to check on him. But he toughed it out and kept bowling in the first T20I against Bangladesh, even though he didn’t seem totally fit.

Things took a turn for the worse in the second match when he had to walk off the field mid-over, unable to finish his four overs. Pathirana stood out as the only wicket-taker for his team during the eight-wicket defeat against Bangladesh in the second T20I match.

How many matches will Matheesha Pathirana miss for CSK in IPL 2024?

Given the severity of his hamstring injury, Pathirana is expected to require an extended recovery period, leading to his anticipated absence from the first half of the season. As a replacement, Mustafizur Rahman is likely to feature in the playing XI for CSK in IPL 2024.