IPL 2024: 3 Players who can replace injured Matheesha Pathirana in CSK squad

Matheesha Pathirana. (Source -IPL/BCCI))

Pacer Matheesha Pathirana bid adieu to CSK squad camp after his latest injury. The unorthodox pacer sustained a hamstring injury and was out of action in the last few games. After the scans, he was deemed medically unfit to take part in the match. The star pacer posted an emotional video telling how bad it is to leave the tournament midway. The injury could mean him getting ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2024 as well, which could be a big blow for Sri Lanka.

CSK will miss the best bowler of the season. In a season where the bowlers have been getting hammered by the batters, Pathirana was one of the fewest bowlers to have held their own against the batters. In the death overs, the right-arm pacer was brilliant and helped CSK win many matches. His absence is a huge void in CSK and getting someone to replace him might solve all the problems. Yet, there are some good options CSK could look at as the Sri Lankan’s replacement.

Here are the three players who can replace the injured Matheesha Pathirana in CSK squad: 

3. Ben Sears

Ben Sears. (Source -Twitter/X)

Bean Sears is an emerging pacer from New Zealand. The current CSK squad in the IPL 2024 has many players from New Zealand. Sears is someone who can swing the ball at a good pace. With age being on his side, the youngster can only improve as a bowler from here on. Landing a contract with a franchise like CSK could be a dream for someone like Sears who could expect good growth in his career.

Notably, Sears did well in the recent series against Australia and Pakistan. The young pacer got the wickets of some of the best batters in the world. Despite doing well in the last few series, Sears was not picked in the squad of New Zealand for the T20 World Cup 2024. It might be a good advantage to the 5-time champions as they can have a fully committed player for the rest of the tournament.

Sean Abbott

Sean Abbott. (Photo Source: Getty Images)

Sean Abbott has been one of the most improved players in T20 cricket in recent times. The right-arm pacer is a wicket-taking bowler and can operate in different phases as a bowler. Abbott can operate at a good pace and threaten the batters with his bouncers. In the Big Bash League 2023/24, the pace bowler was handy for Sydney Sixers and claimed wickets at crucial junctures.

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For Australia, he has often played in the series in the absence of key players. Against India, he was a part of the limited overs series in 2023. In both ODIs and T20Is, he showed improvement as a bowler. Additionally, Sean shined as a batter too. The defending champions need someone like him who can bat a bit lower down the order and be handy with the ball in different phases of the game.

Blessing Muzarabani

Blessing Muzarabani. (Photo by Julian Herbert-IDI/IDI via Getty Images)

Blessing Muzarabani is an emerging bowler from Zimbabwe. The right-arm pacer has the exposure of playing in some of the top leagues in the world. The tall pacer can claim the wickets of some of the best bowlers in the world. He is someone who suits well to the wickets like Chennai. On slow wickets, he can deliver slower ones and make an impact with his height. He was unsold in the IPL auction in 2024.

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The Zimbabwean pacer can operate in the powerplay and the death overs. He can nail yorkers and can change pace to trick the batters. In 49 T20Is, the right-arm pacer has 57 wickets at a bowling average of 22.8 and an economy rate of 7.39. He once defended a low total against Pakistan in a match that went to the Super Over. It showed his ability to execute skills under crunch situations.