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'MI had Malinga, they have Bumrah. KKR had...': Irfan Pathan handpicks Dwayne Bravo's replacement at CSK
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has picked Dwayne Bravo's replacement at CSK amid the IPL 2023.
MS Dhoni's late cameo and Matheesha Pathirana's bowling masterclass sealed Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) comfortable win over Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 on Wednesday. Skipper Dhoni provided CSK with a late flourish while pacer Pathirana delivered the goods with the ball as the Yellow Brigade thrashed David Warner's men by 27 runs in match No. 55 of the IPL 2023 at the Chepauk Stadium.
Days after legendary cricket Dhoni endorsed slingy Pathirana as an upcoming bowling asset for Sri Lanka, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has backed the young pacer to be the next Dwayne Bravo at the CSK camp. Former CSK pacer Pathan also issued a cheeky remark about the Chepauk venue, which the ex-cricketer believes is the only stadium in the IPL where fans keep on cheering even when the home team loses batters in quick succession.
"Chepauk is the only ground in the world where spectators cheer when a wicket of the host team falls. Reason - MSD comes on the field for batting. The audience warmly welcomes its beloved Thala and wants sixes from him," Pathan told Star Sports. The former India pacer then lauded CSK's death-over specialist Pathirana.
Sharing his views about the rising star of the Super Kings, Pathan even hailed the Sri Lankan pacer as a ‘perfect replacement’ for Bravo. "Every team looks for a bowler whom they can bank upon in the death overs. MI had Malinga, they have Bumrah. KKR had Sunil Narine during two IPL seasons when they lifted the trophy. CSK had Bravo and now they have Pathirana. He's a perfect replacement, plus he has genuine pace," he added.
Pathirana had joined CSK as a replacement for New Zealand pacer Adam Milne at the IPL 2022. The Sri Lankan pacer was a part of Sri Lanka’s U19 World Cup squads in 2020 and 2022. Four-time winners CSK roped in the young pacer at a price of INR 20 lakh.
