IPL 2024 | Matheesha Pathirana could miss MI clash, close to match fitness: CSK coach Fleming

CSK's Stephen Fleming hints at Matheesha Pathirana missing IPL clash against MI; Gaikwad praised ahead of 'El Clasico'.

Ahead of his side’s Indian Premier League (IPL) clash against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming hinted that pacer Matheesha Pathirana could miss the highly-anticipated game, though his injury is not as bad.

MI and CSK will battle in a high-stakes ‘El Clasico’ of the IPL at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. CSK is in the third spot, with three wins and two losses, giving them six points. They had registered a win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their last game. On the other hand, MI is also picking up momentum, winning two games after three losses and are placed at the seventh spot. They had hammered Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their previous game.

Both sides have faced off on 36 occasions, with CSK ending victorious at 16 games and MI taking another 20 games.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Stephen said about Pathirana, who missed games against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), “It (Pathirana’s niggle) was not as bad as what we had thought, so we are very hopeful that if not tomorrow, then very close. We know the importance of him in games like this, but we will make sure he is 100 per cent in this form,” Fleming told reporters ahead of the game.

The coach was also all praises for the new skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, who he said is “cut from the same cloth” as Dhoni.

“There is no difference (between Gaikwad and Dhoni). He is as cool as it gets. I know the last captain was pretty cool. But this guy is cut from the same cloth, so that is rubbed through.”

Fleming called Gaikwad rubbished all the talks around Gaikwad’s “slow” strike rate, saying that they need to be put into context.