Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made an interesting decision when they released Matheesha Pathirana from their squad on November 15, which was the last day for the franchises to announce their retentions. The
Sri Lankan fast bowler will now be available to the teams at the IPL 2026 mini-auction, which is set to be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on December 16.
Pathirana joined Chennai Super Kings during IPL 2022 for INR 20 lakh as a replacement for New Zealand seamer Adam Milne, who sustained a hamstring injury in his team's first match of the season. The former was 19 years old at the time.
The Sri Lankan seamer played just two matches in IPL 2022 and bagged as many wickets. However, he was one of the star performers for the Men in Yellow in IPL 2023, when they lifted the coveted title for the fifth time. In 12 matches, he bagged 19 wickets at an average of 19.53 and an economy rate of 8.01. He backed it up with another commendable performance last year, picking up 13 scalps in six matches.
CSK acknowledged his excellent performances and retained him for a whopping INR 13 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega-auction. However, he failed to justify the price tag in the 18th edition of the tournament, picking up just 13 wickets from 12 games at an average of 32.62 and an economy rate of 10.14.
Will it cost CSK big time to release Matheesha Pathirana ahead of IPL 2026 Auction?
A short answer is 'Yes'. There are many points to justify this assessment. Firstly, Pathirana's role in CSK was a very difficult one, where he had to bowl most of his overs during the fag end of the innings. While he is a specialist in that aspect, it has to be considered that he is just 22 years old and should be allowed to have one dismal season. Especially after his splendid performances in the last couple of seasons.
If CSK are thinking of re-signing him for a lower amount from the mini-auction, then that might not be possible, as there are not too many bowlers who are proven death-over specialists like the Kandy-born. Pathirana is expected to start a bidding war at the auction table.
However, according to CSK head coach Stephen Fleming, Pathirana's change in bowling action may have reduced his effectiveness, especially his slingy release and yorkers. While some bowlers struggle to get back to their best after going through a change in action, many have managed to reinvent themselves to become better versions over time. If Pathirana gets himself into the latter category, CSK will be left ruing their decision of releasing him.
