Matheesha Pathirana Height, Age, Girlfriend, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Matheesha Pathirana

• Matheesha Pathirana, a Sri Lankan cricketer, specializes in bowling and is known for his expertise in the death overs. He represents Sri Lanka’s national cricket team.

• Matheesha Pathirana spent his childhood years in a middle-class family.

• Every member of his family has a passion for music. In his younger days, Matheesha’s father was a guitarist for a music band, while his mother played the rhythm guitar for the renowned ‘Salalihiniyo’ band. Matheesha’s sister Vishuka is an accomplished pianist, and his other sister Tharindi excels at playing the guitar. Matheesha himself is skilled in both piano and singing.

• From a very young age, Pathirana developed a passion for cricket and would play it at home. According to his father, Matheesha would eagerly anticipate his return from work, as it meant they could engage in a game of cricket together. His father fondly recalled how every day, Matheesha would patiently wait for him to arrive home, ready to hand him a bat or a ball. The father always felt immense joy in joining his son for a game, cherishing these moments of shared enthusiasm.

• Matheesha began his cricket journey at Ranabima Royal College, where he joined the school’s cricket team. Initially, he showcased his skills as a batter and bowler, but as time went on, he decided to concentrate on enhancing his bowling abilities.

• Matheesha’s passion for music blossomed at a young age, leading him to participate in music examinations all the way up to class six.

• Additionally, he became engaged in baseball, a pursuit that evidently assisted in the development of his bowling technique.

• Matheesha’s cricket coach, recognizing his potential, approached his father and urged him to enroll him at a cricket academy.

• As he played for his school’s cricket team, he seized the chance to represent the Kandy district school team at the district level, capturing the interest of cricket enthusiasts from the upcountry.

• Afterwards, he became a member of the Kettarama fast bowling academy, where he honed his bowling abilities with the guidance of Chamila Gamage and several other cricket coaches. Within the academy, his talent caught the attention of Chaminda Vaas, a renowned Sri Lankan fast-bowling coach. Impressed by his skills, Chaminda approached his father, requesting permission for him to join Colombo school in order to further develop his bowling prowess. Sadly, his father was reluctant to send Matheesha to Colombo, as it would mean being separated from their family, and he declined the offer.

• Despite making multiple attempts, Matheesha was unsuccessful in gaining admission to St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota.

• Trinity College, Kandy, extended an invitation to Pathirana to enroll at their school, which he accepted after completing his GCE OL exams. Upon joining the school, he became a player for their Under 17 cricket team. Currently, Matheesha Pathirana proudly represents his college as a member of their U17 cricket team.

• During his time in school, he proudly played for the Sri Lanka under-19 cricket team on the international stage.

• Despite being a part of several domestic teams and earning a spot in Sri Lanka’s national cricket team, Matheesha remained loyal to his school, Trinity College, and continued to represent them in various school-level cricket tournaments. In their final school tournament, Matheesha proudly stands with the trophy won by his beloved Trinity College cricket team.

• Matheesha took part in the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, representing Sri Lanka.

• During a cricket match on 19 January 2020, Matheesha Pathirana delivered a remarkable ball to Yashasvi Jaiswal at a speed of 175kph (108 mph), which unfortunately resulted in a wide in the fourth over of India’s innings. This delivery was believed to be the fastest ever recorded in international cricket, surpassing the previous record held by Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar at 161.3kph (100mph) during the 2003 World Cup. However, it was later discovered that the 175kph speed was due to a technical glitch and not an accurate measurement. Despite this incident, India went on to win the match by 90 overs.

• In August 2021, Matheesha Pathirana was selected to join the SLC Greys’ squad for the 2021 SLC Invitational T20 League. While playing a match for the team, he impressively demonstrates his exceptional skills.

• In the 2021 SLC Invitational T20 League, he made his debut for SLC Greys in a domestic T20 match.

• In addition to that, Pathirana has participated in numerous matches representing Nondescripts Cricket Club.

• Matheesha, who was selected for Sri Lanka’s Twenty20 series against Australia in May 2022, unfortunately had to sit out due to an injury.

• Matheesha Pathirana was selected for Sri Lanka’s T20I squad for the 2022 Asia Cup, and he made his T20 International debut against Afghanistan in Dubai (DSC) on 27 August 2022. Later, in March 2023, Pathirana was once again chosen for Sri Lanka’s T20I squad for the series against New Zealand. During a match, he couldn’t contain his excitement and joyously celebrated taking a wicket for Sri Lanka.

• Matheesha Pathirana was selected in Sri Lanka’s One Day International squad for the ODI series against New Zealand in March 2023.

• Matheesha Pathirana represented Kandy Falcons (formerly known as Kandy Warriors) during the third edition of the Lanka Premier League in 2022.

• In the T10 League or Abu Dhabi T10, he has also been a part of the Bangla Tigers team during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

• During a match in the first edition of DP World ILT20, Matheesha Pathirana played for the Desert Vipers. He managed to take three wickets in four innings, delivering a total of 90 balls without any Maiden overs. With a strike rate of 30 and an average of 50.66, Matheesha impressed the audience at Dubai’s Dessert Vipers stadium with his cricket skills.

• Matheesha Pathirana was signed by the Chennai Super Kings in April 2022 for the 2022 Indian Premier League, with a price tag of Rs. 20 lakhs. He joined the team as a substitute player, filling in for the New Zealand cricketer Adam Milne.

• Matheesha Pathirana made his IPL debut on 15 May 2022 for the Chennai Super Kings against the Gujarat Titans. In the eighth over of the match, he bowled his first delivery and successfully took the wicket of Shubman Gill, becoming the first Sri Lankan player and the ninth player worldwide to achieve this feat in the Indian Premier League. He then dismissed Hardik Pandya in the second over with a deceptive slower ball. Throughout the match, Pathirana bowled 3.1 overs and conceded 24 runs. In his debut match for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Pathirana celebrated joyously after claiming a wicket.

• He was retained by the Chennai Super Kings for the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League at his base price of Rs. 20 lakhs.

• During an IPL match in April 2023, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain of Chennai Super Kings, became visibly angry at Matheesha Pathirana of Rajasthan Royals. This was triggered when Pathirana obstructed Dhoni’s attempt to directly hit the stumps, leading Dhoni to give him a fierce death stare. Dhoni’s intense glare was directed towards Matheesha Pathirana.

• Matheesha Pathirana enjoys traveling and listening to music during his free time.

• Pizza is the preferred food of Pathirana.

• Due to the striking resemblance in his bowling action to that of Lasith Malinga, he has earned various nicknames in the cricket community such as Baby Malinga, Podi Malinga, Mini Mali, and Next Malinga. In an interview, his father clarified that despite the rumors, Pathirana did not intentionally imitate Malinga’s bowling style. In fact, he has been bowling in a similar manner since the start of his cricket journey. With dedicated and rigorous training, Pathirana has been able to further improve his bowling skills.

• Matheesa Pathirana, a dedicated fitness enthusiast, diligently adheres to a rigorous workout routine. Throughout his exercise session, Matheesa actively participates in various physical activities.

• Matheesha Pathirana is endorsed by GA Sports Meerut and can be found on Instagram at Matheesha Pathirana [4].

• Matheesha Pathirana, a passionate animal enthusiast, is frequently seen on his Instagram account sharing numerous pictures featuring adorable cats. One of his captivating photos portrays him alongside a charming feline companion.

• The place of residence for his family is Katugastota.

• In an interesting turn of events in 2021, a video of Matheesha Pathirana’s bowling skills during a school tournament caught the attention of Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The video went viral on the internet, showcasing Matheesha representing Trinity College against a school led by (Sanath) Jayasuriya. Impressed by Matheesha’s bowling action, MS Dhoni expressed a strong desire to include him in the IPL reserves of the Chennai Super Kings. Dhoni even wrote a letter to Pathirana, extending an offer to join the team during their tour in the UAE. Unfortunately, Matheesha was unable to join the Chennai Super Kings at that time as the Sri Lanka Cricket did not grant the necessary permission (NOC).

• He earned the endearing nickname “Baby Malinga” due to the immense popularity of his bowling technique during the 2023 IPL.