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Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana, currently playing in the Abu Dhabi T10, expressed his excitement and happiness at being retained for a whopping Rs 13 crore by his franchise, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), for the upcoming IPL 2025. Pathirana, known for his skills as a specialist death bowler, shared his enthusiasm and gratitude for the trust CSK has placed in him.
"Yeah, really, I'm excited about that, and that was my dream when I debuted for CSK. So yeah, I achieved it, so I'm really happy about that," said Pathirana, reflecting on his retention by the franchise. Pathirana joined CSK in 2022, when he played two games and took two wickets. The following year, he had a breakthrough season, playing 12 games and claiming 19 wickets. In 2024, he continued his impressive form, picking up 13 wickets in six games. In total, Pathirana has played 20 matches for CSK, taking 34 wickets with an economy rate of 7.88 and a best bowling figure of 4/28. Despite CSK's strong performances, the team narrowly missed their playoff chances in 2024, finishing fifth under new captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Pathirana also expressed his delight at the prospect of sharing the dressing room with CSK captain MS Dhoni once again. The young bowler highlighted the unique experience of playing alongside the legendary cricketer. "Everyone knows how it will be, so no need to say again. It's really cool and nice," he remarked. CSK's strategy is likely to focus on blending seasoned players with fresh talent, maintaining the balance that has driven their past successes. Besides Dhoni, their retained players include Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, and Matheesha Pathirana. The IPL 2025 Mega Auction promises to deliver high-stakes action, with marquee players and strategic manoeuvres set to enthral cricket fans. Of the 574 players, 366 are Indian, while 208 are overseas, including three from associate nations. The auction will see 318 Indian uncapped players and 12 uncapped overseas players in contention. There are 204 slots available, with 70 reserved for overseas players. The highest reserve price is set at INR 2 crore, with 81 players opting for this bracket. The largest segment comprises players with a base price of INR 30 lakh, totalling 320. Among the standout names are Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul, part of the 12 marquee players. These three captains were released by their respective franchises ahead of the retention deadline. For the first time since 2018, the marquee players are divided into two sets, comprising seven Indian players and five overseas stars. The first set includes Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and Arshdeep Singh, while the second features KL Rahul, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj. The overseas marquee players are Mitchell Starc, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, David Miller, and Kagiso Rabada. Several teams will deploy Right-to-Match (RTM) cards during the auction. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), having retained six players each--the maximum allowed--will not have any RTM cards. Punjab Kings (PBKS) hold four RTMs, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) three, and Delhi Capitals (DC) two. Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Gujarat Titans (GT), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and Mumbai Indians (MI) each have one RTM. RTM cards enable teams to buy back released players by matching the highest bid. In this auction, the team with the highest bid can increase their offer once more, after which the team holding the RTM card can match the final bid to secure the player. (ANI)
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