Former India cricketer turned pundit Aakash Chopra has reckoned that five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) could be in trouble in the upcoming IPL season if their Sri Lanka slinger Matheesha Pathirana is unavailable.

It is likely that Pathirana might be unavailable for the initial few matches in the lucrative tournament after he sustained a grade-one hamstring injury on the left leg during the second T20I against Bangladesh and missed out on the third match. The incident took place during the fourth over of the match when Pathirana was seen clutching his left hamstring as he tried to complete the over but was unable to finish the spell.

Incidentally, he is also the fastest bowler in the CSK squad who can clock around 150kmph consistently.

“Pathirana has gotten injured. There is no clarity on his availability but will Chennai Super Kings have a problem because of his injury? They could have slight problems because Pathirana is their main death bowler,” Aakash Chopra said in an episode of Cricket Chaupaal.

“However, they have got Shardul Thakur now and Deepak Chahar was already there. They got Maheesh Theekshana to bowl a lot in the death overs but they could feel Matheesha Pathirana”s absence a little,” Chopra observed.

Pathirana joined the CSK squad in IPL 2022 when he was roped in as a replacement for the injured Adam Milne. He displayed his brilliance in the last season as he scalped 19 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 19.53 with the best bowling figures of 3/15.