One of the most talented and quality spinners of Sri Lanka presently, Maheesh Theekshana missed the initial few days of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 because of national team duties.
He is all set to come back into the starting XI of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) when they play against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai.
Theekshana is a raw mystery spinner who can simply spin a web and send the opposition batters on a wobble. He has been an integral part of Sri Lanka’s bowling unit and has been a potent force in their ranks.
Maheesh Theekshana has an action similar to Ajantha Mendis
One of the key players that guided the island nation to ICC T20 World Cup 2014 victory for Sri Lanka, Ajantha Mendis was one of the best spinners of Sri Lanka. A few injuries after a gunshot in the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Pakistan cut short his promising career.
But ardent cricket fans and lovers can see glimpses of his action in the new spin-sensation, Maheesh Theekshana. When the spinner bowls, his index finger in the non-bowling arm points towards the sky. He is an unplayable bowler and batters always have a tough time playing.
Theekshana delivered the goods for Sri Lanka in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021
Shortly after making his debut against South Africa, Maheesh Theekshana was named in the Sri Lankan squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. He was super impressive and bagged 8 wickets in the tournament.
The spinner ended up being the 2nd highest wicket-taker of Sri Lanka in the tournament. If given the adequate amount of exposure and opportunities, Maheesh Theekshana can go down as one of the best spinners ever produced by Sri Lanka. The guile and astuteness, makes him stand out.
Impressive IPL 2022
After being bought by Chennai in the IPL 2022 Mega-Auctions, Maheesh Theekshana impressed one and all in the Chennai camp. The 22-year-old wily spinner bagged 12 wickets in 9 games and his IPL sojourn was a resounding success.
Even though Chennai Super Kings were in danger waters almost throughout the season, the rise of Theekshana was a big positive. Naturally, they did not think twice before retaining him for IPL 2023.
As Chennai play all their home games in the spin-friendly Chepauk wickets, Maheesh Theekshana’s presence will be a big bonus for the Yellow Army.
Also read: IPL 2023: 3 Reasons Why Varun Chakravarthy Could Have A Good IPL Season
