If you are following the Chennai Super Kings this IPL season, there is one name with a lot of questions and not a lot of answers – Matheesha Pathirana. The slingy Sri Lankan pacer known as Baby Malinga has been one of CSK’s death-over weapons for the past two seasons. In 2025? Not so much. Pathirana has proven he can stop the runs, but whether it was leaking runs or just losing his rhythm, there has been no question that he has been out of form. So, what is going on? Let’s investigate.
It’s All in the Action – Literally
Ambati Rayudu, one of the more opinionated cricket minds post-retirement, believes the real problem is Pathirana’s strange bowling action, and one that seems to have changed, too. Pathirana’s release point has changed after coming back from injury. For a lot of bowlers, it’s simply a change in release point, due to a minor tweak. For a bowler who has a strange bowling action? That’s something else altogether.
The margin of error on Pathirana’s release is very small. If the release is just a tad early, it is drifting wide of off. If the release is just a split-second late, it is a freebie down leg. That is why it is hard to be consistent the whole season. It is like trying to hit a bullseye with a dart while bouncing on a trampoline. Miss it by a little, and you could be way off.
And it shows in the numbers. Pathirana has been one of the worst offenders in denying extras this season. Not exactly the type of stat you want to be leading. So, yes, it’s technical, and yes, it’s hard, but the good news is technique can be rebuilt, especially when you have the raw pace and recent pedigree, Pathirana has.
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CSK’s Template Problem – A Blessing or a Burden?
There is an additional component to this puzzle in how CSK has utilized Pathirana in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Darren Ganga identified quite insightfully that he has been pigeon-holed into a specific role – bowling three overs at the death. Yes, it worked in 2023 and 2024 forms, but the form is not static. I think possible by locking him into a fixed script that relies on how he is still able to settle in on off days, CSK have limited him.
T20 cricket is chaotic, unpredictable, and at times, unforgivingly brutal. If a bowler is off his rhythm, why wait until the 16th over to find that out? Ganga suggests something refreshingly simple: throw him in just after the powerplay, and let him feel the pitch, the ball, the conditions. They are not solely “death overs specialist” anymore, it is about adapting.
The Comeback Trail – A Matter of Time?
It’s clear that despite some technical the same mistakes, a few tactical questions, and a few technical issues with Pathirana, Pathirana has the goods. Rayudu highlighted that this is a slump, not a fall. And knowing the CSK management, they aren’t the type to roll over after three bad games.
There is some talk about Pathirana working on a slightly higher action for better control, and that little aspect could be a major turning point. Add that up with the captain using him more intelligence—like a soft entry over before the slog overs, and you might see Pathirana return to CCN’s enforcer at the death.
An IPL career is not determined by one off-season; it is all about how players respond. If CSK and Pathirana are smart about what they do next, that 2025 blip could lead to a big bounce back in 2026.
What say you? Should CSK try to play Pathirana down other avenues next season or stick to what they know?
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