Ishan Kishan, the wicketkeeper-batsman for the Mumbai Indians (MI), has said that his team will watch Matheesha Pathirana’s videos for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in order to try and understand what he is trying to do in the IPL 2023. He also added that they cannot narrow their attention to just one bowler.
Young Lankan fast bowler Pathirana, whose action resembles that of Lasith Malinga, has received a lot of attention. The right-arm pacer’s attitude and pace have won over many fans. He has so far taken seven wickets at an average of 27.57 and an economy rate of 8.27 in six IPL 2023 matches.
In an interview prior to the CSK vs MI match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Kishan discussed the difficulty of playing Pathirana.
“We will definitely watch his video to see what he’s trying to do with the new ball,” he said. “I think there are so many technologies now, and there are so many videos coming up. We also can’t concentrate only on one bowler. At the same time, we must show him respect if he is bowling well.”
“We cannot treat him with too much deference. But we must think positively; we must believe that we will find you if he misses. That will be the attitude,” he also added. “Their batters would be confident in tackling Pathirana” because they faced Malinga in the MI nets when he was a member of the team.”
He further said, “We played Malinga in the nets when he was with MI, so that gives us a lot of confidence, you know. He was a renowned bowler. While he was bowling, we did some good practice. We will just watch the ball and play our own game. It doesn’t matter how he bowls; we don’t want to consider what his strength is. Instead, we will concentrate on our frame of mind and consider how we can score runs off of his bowling.”
“Actually, we are prepared for any situation,” – Ishan Kishan
With stats of 2/22 in the postponed game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Pathirana, 20, made an impression.
Mumbai Indians will enter their match against CSK with confidence after chasing down more than 200 in their previous two IPL 2023 games. Looking ahead to the challenge in Chennai, Kishan also affirmed that they are in a good mood and prepared for any circumstances. He stated:
“Our purpose will be crystal clear. In T20 cricket, you only need one or two strong overs, so if the ball is there to be hit, we’ll take it. We are aware of their side’s abundance of spinners. We know how the wicket will play, particularly in Chennai, because we have participated in the IPL for so many years, so we are actually prepared for any situation.”
“It’s crucial to exert pressure on the bowlers rather than letting them dominate. This is the attitude we maintain throughout every game,” Ishan Kishan concluded.
In MI’s victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS), Kishan was named Player of the Match. Using seven fours and four sixes, he scored 75 in just 41 balls.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.