Maheesh Theekshana made his international debut in 2021 and has since become a prominent player for the Sri Lankan cricket team. He received his maiden IPL call-up with CSK in 2022, which helped his career take off. Recently, he expressed gratitude for his time with CSK, highlighting how MS Dhoni’s inputs boosted his confidence.
Maheesh Theekshana credits MS Dhoni for his transformation
Before the India vs Sri Lanka T20I series, Theekshana praised Dhoni for his role in his success. He revealed that batters often played the sweep shot against him due to his quick action, causing him to go expensive in his spells. MS Dhoni analyzed this from behind the stumps and gave him game-changing advice.
“I have learned a lot of things from MS Dhoni, but in particular, how he helped me bowl to batters who would employ the sweep shot against me. With my action, I would bowl quicker, but they would still hit boundaries. He asked me to bowl a bit fuller. That’s also how I developed my yorker. I gradually gained confidence bowling in the death overs. Dhoni always has a plan. But he goes to the bowler’s plan first and only if it does not work, does he guide you.” said Maheesh Theekshana, as quoted by the Hindustan Times.
Chennai Super Kings and MS Dhoni have undoubtedly played a big role in grooming Sri Lankan players like Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana. Both began their IPL careers with CSK and are now key players for the Sri Lankan team. Like Theekshana, Pathirana also credits MS Dhoni. In an interview, he even described Dhoni as a father figure.
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Maheesh Theekhana also shared his game plan against India in the ongoing series. “India have got some big hitters and Pallekele is a high-scoring ground. With the altitude, the ball generally flies. Without trying to go after wickets too much, we may have to bowl tighter. If they go for shots, we will be in with a chance. In these sorts of grounds, you have to be smarter.” said Theekshana.