Brett Lee hails Pathirana as ‘once in a generation player’

New Delhi, Apr 15: 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.