Sri Lanka call up IPL star Pathirana for Afghan series

Sri Lanka called up Indian Premier League winner Matheesha Pathirana on Tuesday into the 16-member ODI squad for the upcoming three-match home series against Afghanistan.

If he is included in the final team, it will be the 20-year-old Pathirana's debut for Sri Lanka in a one-day international.

Pathirana, nicknamed "Baby Malinga" for his slingshot action similar to Sri Lanka great Lasith Malinga, has played two T20s for his country.

All three matches on June 2, 4 and 7 will be played at Hambantota in the island's south, which has not hosted any international matches since February 2020.

Pathirana was a key player in the Chennai Super Kings team that won the IPL finals in Ahmedabad on Monday for a record-equalling fifth time.

With a vicious yorker he took two for 44 in the game and grabbed an impressive 19 wickets in the tournament. Chennai skipper MS Dhoni called him "special".

Sri Lanka squad: Dasun Shanaka (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushan Hemantha, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana