Maheesh Theekshana is one of Sri Lanka’s main weapons in the world cup. With a good record for the Chennai Super Kings(IPL franchise) , he is also well-versed in Indian conditions. And given Sri Lanka’s record in ICC tournaments, it is no surprise that Maheesh Theekshana is silently confident about doing well on the big stage.
“We have often wondered why this is the case and maybe it is because these tournaments have a lot at stake and there is always that extra intensity. The platform is bigger and there are a lot many more people watching. You know the importance of these tournaments and you want to do well.
In 2011 we made the final. Now in 2023, we have a good team and a lot of the players know the Indian conditions really well. If we play to potential, there is no reason why we can’t go all the way,” said Maheesh Theekshana in the world cup series of Backstage with Boria. Stating that the IPL has helped, he said, “What the IPL does is it gives us first-hand knowledge. We play some of our games in Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Lucknow and a lot of us have played in these grounds during the IPL. Dasun has played for Gujarat in Ahmedabad while Wanindu has played for RCB in Bengaluru. In my case, I have played in Delhi and Lucknow. What this means is, we know these grounds, have an idea of the conditions, the boundaries and what all we can expect. It makes a serious difference going into a tournament like the world cup”. When asked if, with all the technology around, his mystery will certainly get decoded, he shot back. “Let me ask you something for a change. Rashid Khan has been playing for close to a decade now. He plays a lot of franchise tournaments and also for Afghanistan. How many batters have been able to decode his mystery? Why and how is he so successful if he isn’t good enough? There is nothing about mystery or anything. It is about bowling good balls in the right length and with the right line. That’s all that matters. If you are able to do it, wickets will come.” Finally, he credited MS Dhoni for learning to better handle pressure. “MS Dhoni is a fantastic leader and captain. His composure is something each one of us had benefitted from. When you speak to someone like him and see how he handles pressure despite all the hype around, you know how it can or should be done. Not just me, each one of us in the Chennai team had learnt from having him around”, he concluded.