Mitchell McClenaghan believes CSK missed Pathirana and Mustafizur in their recent loss to GT

(Cricfit) - In their IPL 2024 match against GT on Friday, May 10 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Mitchell McClenaghan, a former New Zealand Pacer, claimed that CSK (Chennai Super Kings) sorely missed the services of Mustafizur Rahman and Matheesha Pathirana. Both pacers are no longer members of the Super Kings for the current T20 league season.

CSK faced a tough encounter against GT in the IPL 2024. Due to unavailability, CSK is without two crucial players, Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman, and the squad is also trying to find form in their batting order.

Mustafizur is presently participating in Zimbabwe’s five-match Twenty20 International series. In contrast, Pathirana returned to Sri Lanka to receive medical attention for his hamstring ailment. After the Titans amassed a huge 231 for 3 on the board and went on to win the game by 35 runs on Friday, CSK felt their absence.

210 runs for the first wicket in 17.2 overs between Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill brought the CSK bowlers to task. In the eighteenth over, Tushar Deshpande dismissed both hitters, but the damage had already been done.

Mitchell McClenaghan Puts his thoughts on CSK’s loss to GT: 

Mitchell McClenaghan stated that CSK desperately missed Mustafizur Rahman and Matheesha Pathirana after losing to GT by 35 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Regarding CSK’s poor bowling performance, McClenaghan stated that Pathirana and Mustafizur would have found a way to halt the rampaging GT bats.

“CSK showed that they desperately missed Pathirana and Mustafizur because of their experience and wicket-taking ability. On that kind of wicket, you would have got a feeling that they would have found a way,” McClenaghan told ESPNcricinfo.

“Today, they had to rely on Daryl Mitchell to bowl four overs, and that’s not ideal,” he added.

In an attempt to chase a massive 232, CSK could only muster 196 for 8 in 20 overs. Despite winning six of their twelve games, the Super Kings lost and fell to fourth place in the standings with 12 points and a net run rate of +0.491.