Brett Lee hails Pathirana as 'once in a generation player'

NEW DELHI: Former Australia fast-bowler Brett Lee hailed Chennai Super Kings (CSK) young pacer Matheesha Pathirana as "once in a generation player" after his match-defining spell against Mumbai Indians.

CSK picked up their fourth win of the IPL 2024 by defeating MI by 20 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday. Chennai set a target of 207 runs but Mumbai could only muster 186 runs in their stipulated 20 overs largely due to a century by Rohit Sharma.

Defending 206, it was Pathirana who led the CSK bowling department with figures of 4-28. In his game changing spell that fetched him Player of the Match award, Pathirana dismissed Ishan Kishan and got the big wicket of Suryakumar Yadav in the same over. Then he took out Tilak Varma and Romario Shepherd in the second half of the innings to derail MI's chase.Brett Lee, "He's a once in a generation player. Probably 2.0 in terms of the slinger, but he's bowled beautifully once again tonight. It's the pace he's bowling at. 150 kmph from right in front of the umpire's chest, it's a different trajectory off the wicket, out of the hand.

Pathirana, who missed CSK's last two matches due to a hamstring niggle, has eight wickets to his name after conceding in three matches he played so far this season.

"He got four wickets, he's content with it. He seems like a lovely kid as well. He's going from strength to strength and that's a huge reason why the Men in Yellow are doing as well, with guys bowling as well as he is," said Lee on Jio Cinema.

Lee also commended Rohit's unbeaten knock of 105 off 63 that rallied the MI charge in the run chase. "It was a brilliant hundred. The fact that he went out there and played, and got it at a good clip too. I liked it when he scored the hundred and didn't raise his bat because that tells me the win means more than the personal hundred."

"He played with real intent right from ball one. He played shots all over the ground. But the power, the finesse came into play. 105 not-out, 63 balls, 11 fours, five sixes. Some of those sixes could have gone out of the ground in other stadiums. It was beautiful batting, but unfortunately, sometimes you can't do things on your own," the Aussie added.

The 47-year-old also commended CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad for his batting skills while also expressing surprise to see him bat at number 3. "I was shocked that he came in at No. 3 and not at the top of the order. He didn't leave it long until he got to his business. He just finds a way to find the boundary, he has power that other batters can't seem to find. But hopefully next game, back to the top of the order please," added Lee.