17-year-old Sri Lankan 'Slinger' Joins CSK Camp After Impressing MS Dhoni With a Toe-crusher

A 17-year-old Sri Lankan bowler has reportedly impressed Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni so much so that he’s been invited to attend the team’s pre-season camp that got underway earlier this month.

Kugadas Mathulan delivered a toe-crusher during a Big Match between St. John’s College and Jaffna Central College and the clip of that dismissal that left the batter on all fours went viral on social media.

Apparently, Dhoni also saw the video and wanted to have a closer look at the teenage fast bowler who is now bowling in the CSK nets.

Mathulan’s bowling action is similar to another Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga who is counted among the greatest fast bowlers of the modern-era.

CSK already have a Sri Lankan slinger Matheesha Pathirana in their squad and the young fast bowler played a key role in their title march last season.

Pathirana though has suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain on his left leg during the recent three-match T20I series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The 21-year-old suffered the niggle during the second T20I against Bangladesh at Sylhet on March 6 and left the field without completing his spell. It has put a doubts over his availability for CSK’s first few matches of the season.

“The Grade 1 hamstring typically takes nearly two weeks to recover fully. So, it remains to be seen when Pathirana can join the team, and it is hard to tell at this stage whether he will be available for the initial couple of matches,” news agency PTI quoted a source as saying.

CSK will be without their star opener Devon Conway for the season as he injured his thumb which will keep him out of action for at least eight weeks.

CSK will face Royal Challengers Bangalore in the season opener on March 22. The defending champions won a record-equaling fifth IPL title last year beating Gujarat Titans in the final.