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IPL 2025: Pathirana Hails Dhoni as ‘Cricketing Dad’

by iGK

Modified: April 4, 2025 4:50 PM

Matheesha Pathirana’s got a spring in his step and a hero in his heart as he tears through IPL 2025, and he’s laying it all at the feet of Chennai Super Kings’ legend MS Dhoni. In a fresh CSK documentary that dropped on April 4, the young Sri Lankan slinger; who’s already nabbed two-wicket hauls in both his games this season; spills the beans on why he calls Dhoni his “cricketing dad.” It’s not just talk; Pathirana says the guidance and warmth Dhoni’s dished out since he landed in Chennai back in 2022 feel like home, echoing the way his own father steered him growing up in Kandy. His mom’s over the moon too, gushing in the film that Dhoni’s “like a god” for how he’s shaped her boy’s journey.

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Mahi and Mathee!
Making us feel the bond! 🥹💛

Watch #TheMakingOf Matheesha Pathirana Out now
🔗 – https://t.co/3AmfTzCSmx

#WhistlePodu #Yellove🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/E0Sj4JjGGu

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 4, 2025

The love fest kicked off the first time they met, when Dhoni flashed that famous grin and said, “Hi, Mali. How are you?” That “Mali” tag; a riff on “Baby Malinga” for Pathirana’s slingy action cribbed from Lasith Malinga; hit just right. “Back in Sri Lanka, Mali’s what you call your little brother,” Pathirana beams, still pinching himself that a giant like Dhoni tossed him such a cozy nickname. It’s a bond that’s clicked on and off the field, with the 22-year-old soaking up every bit of wisdom from CSK’s captain-turned-mentor since he stepped in as Adam Milne’s replacement three years ago.

CSK’s faithful are lapping it up, and the timing couldn’t be sweeter; Pathirana’s red-hot start has the Yellow Army dreaming big for 2025. The documentary, “The Making of Matheesha Pathirana,” is out now, giving fans a front-row seat to this feel-good tale. From a wide-eyed kid to a rising star, Pathirana found more than a team in Chennai; he’s found a family, and Dhoni’s the one holding the reins.