Pathirana played a key role in CSK's title winning campaign in 2023.
When the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday (November 15) unveiled their list of retained and released players for the IPL 2026 season, there was a notable name that caught everyone’s attention.
The five-time champions, who had invested heavily in Matheesha Pathirana and even retained him for Rs 13 crore before the 2025 edition, took a bold call of letting the young Sri Lankan pacer go.
What baffled fans even more was that CSK rejected multiple trade requests for Pathirana, only to release him later.
Amid the confusion, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan has offered an explanation, saying that the franchise wanted to enter the auction with a big purse, especially after making two major trades.
Notably, the Super Kings completed a high-profile trade deal before the retention deadline, snapping up Rajasthan Royals star Sanju Samson for Rs 18 crore.
CSK let go of their legendary all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and also traded Sam Curran as part of the agreement.
“We wanted to enter the auction with a substantial purse. We had already made tough calls by trading out Jadeja and Curran. Sanju Samson came at ₹18 crore. Given the kind of combination we are trying to build, the management collectively felt that a bigger purse would give us a better chance to construct a stronger squad," Kasi told RevSportz.
The CSK official also stated that they would try to buy back Pathirana at the mini-auction next month.
“Whatever we do will always be in the best interests of the team. We will try to get him back but it will depend on how the auction pans out,” Kasi added.
Matheesha Pathirana experienced a lot of success during his time at CSK. He picked up 47 wickets in 32 IPL matches and played a key role in the team’s title winning campaign in 2023. However, Pathirana’s last two seasons were not the best. In IPL 2025, he claimed 13 wickets from 12 matches while conceding runs at more than 10 per over.