IPL 2023 | PBKS all-rounder Sikandar Raza believes Matheesha Pathirana more “trickier” than Malinga

Chennai Super Kings bowler Matheesha Pathirana during the IPL 2023 cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals, at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Zimbabwe all-rounder and Punjab Kings batter Sikandar Raza lauded Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana and said the young pacer is much more trickier to read than Sri Lanka great Lasith Malinga.

Sikandar said that Pathirana is more trickier bowler than Malinga as his bowling action comes lower.

“Pathirana is a quality talent. I remember that [Lasith] Malinga was hard enough to face but Pathirana is just a bit trickier. His arm comes lower. Malinga was side on, I remember. On that wicket, with those cutters and his 145kph pace, you just didn’t know what’s coming. Alhamdulillah, to be able to score those runs! I was just trying to find a boundary so I was lucky to get those three runs. I hit it into a gap. I guess when it’s your day, luck favours you in weird ways,” the Zimbabwe player said.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and opted to bowl against Delhi Capitals (DC) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Wednesday.

Delhi are already eliminated from the play-offs race and the wooden spooners will play for pride. On the other hand, a defeat against Delhi tonight won’t mean an end to Punjab Kings’ campaign but they’ll then have to heavily rely on other outcomes falling in their favour.

Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan(c), Atharva Taide, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Sam Curran, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis and Arshdeep Singh.PBKS Impact Subs: Prabhsimran Singh, Sikandar Raza, Matthew Short, Rishi Dhawan and Mohit Rathee.

Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): David Warner(c), Prithvi Shaw, Philip Salt(w), Rilee Rossouw, Axar Patel, Aman Hakim Khan, Yash Dhull, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma and Khaleel Ahmed.DC Impact Subs: Mukesh Kumar, Abishek Porel, Ripal Patel, Praveen Dubey and Sarfaraz Khan.