Footage of Matheesha Getting Blessings from Dhoni? Find out the truth…

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Sri Lankan cricketer Matheesha Pathirana, who has earned a significant fan base in India due to his impressive performances in the IPL, found himself at the centre of attention when a video surfaced, allegedly showing him receiving blessings from Indian cricketing legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni before his bowling spell. This claim, which quickly went viral, has sparked a wave of curiosity among cricket enthusiasts. Let’s delve into the details of this viral video claim.

Social Media Posts:

Footage of Pathirana seemingly touching Dhoni's feet quickly went viral across various social media platforms.

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The claims were also viral on X (formerly Twitter).

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Fact-Check:

Matheesha Pathirana has been an integral part of the reigning IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings. Matheesha made his first appearance in the 2024 IPL season on March 26^th in a game against Gujarat Titans. The above incident of Matheesha Pathirana purportedly approaching the former captain of Chennai Super Kings, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and taking his blessings was seen during this game.

We tried to get a clear idea of what Matheesha was doing in this situation, but a moving camera interfered with the footage at the exact moment when Matheesha bent down, so we couldn’t get a clear picture of his actual intentions.

However, upon keyword searches, we came across a few other videos of the same situation from different angles that clearly depicted what really happened. In this instance, Matheesha is bending down to pick up his bowling mark. Dhoni was standing next to this marker, which suggested that Matheesha was taking blessings from MSD. You can view it from this link.

To people who thought Pathirana was taking blessings from Thala 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/BKfQdPVx03

— 🎰 (@StanMSD) March 29, 2024

Zee News and a few other Indian news outlets also clarified that Matheesha Pathirana was seen bending down to pick up the marker used by bowlers to mark their distance. Such reports can be read here, with another report available here.

With a clinical performance, Chennai Super Kings clinched victory in this particular IPL match. 21-year-old Matheesha also contributed to their success. During the game against Gujarat, Matheesha delivered four overs, claiming one wicket for 29 runs.

Matheesha was a key factor in Chennai winning the 2023 IPL crown and is expected to play a vital role in this year's campaign as well. The guidance of Chennai’s 42-year-old instrumental leader, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, had significantly influenced Matheesha's rapid rise. On several occasions, Matheesha praised the guidance offered by MSD, and in 2023, Matheesha's family members also visited India at Dhoni's invitation.

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Conclusion:

Our investigation confirms that the assertions of Sri Lankan cricketer Matheesha Pathirana taking blessings from Mahendra Singh Dhoni during a cricket match in the ongoing Indian Premier League are inaccurate. The footage depicts Pathirana simply picking up the marker used by bowlers to measure their distance, which happened to be near Dhoni's feet at that particular time.