IPL 2024: Why Matheesha Pathirana Did Not Play CSK Vs PBKS Match?

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) locked horns in match no.54 of the IPL 2024 against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. As Sam Curran announced there is no change in their eleven from the last game, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad informed that his team will play the fixture without key pacers Mustafizur Rahman and Matheesha Pathirana.

"We're going to bowl. Day game, try and see how it plays and chase it down. We've got the same team. We've had two really good wins with the same team. Conditions should be fairly even throughout, it's about batting, bowling and fielding well," said Curran at the toss. (Sunil Gavaskar Slams Virat Kohli For Questioning Commentators Over Strike-Rate Criticism, Says, 'We Speak About What We See...')

Rahman has returned back to his country following the preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 whereas Pathirana missed the game due to an injury. CSK also informed the Sri Lanka international has returned back home due to injury. (Watch: Anushka Sharma's Priceless Reaction As Virat Kohli Survives Run-Out Goes Viral)

"Chennai Super Kings pacer Matheesha Pathirana is nursing a hamstring injury and will be returning to Sri Lanka for further recovery," stated a media release from CSK.

"We've just stuck to our process and doing little things right. We don't look at the track record of the opposition, we focus on ourselves and see what we can do right. This season there have been a lot of injuries, flus and forced changes so we've had to tinker with our team. I'd say losing 10 tosses but winning five games is a positive," said Gaikwad.

Punjab Kings skipper Sam Curran won the toss and elected to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings in the 53rd clash of the Indian Premier League 2024 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Sunday. It was the tenth toss which Gaikwad lost in his last eleven games as the CSK captain. The race for playoffs is on and all the teams in the mid-table positions have to win every game they have left in hand to make sure they qualify.