5 players who you did not know played the U19 World Cup with Matheesha Pathirana ft. Yashasvi Jaiswal

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) might not have started their IPL 2025 campaign as well as they would have liked, but speedster Matheesha Pathirana has made a significant impact in the two matches he has played so far. He has picked up four wickets so far at an average of 16.

He was signed up as a replacement for Adam Milne during the 2022 IPL and has become an integral member for the five-time champions. He was one of the retained players for CSK ahead of the mega auction.

Pathirana broke into the scene with his slingy Malinga-like action during the 2020 U-19 World Cup. While he didn't pick up too many wickets, Pathirana’s action and ability to bowl consistent yorkers at pace made him a name to look forward to in the future.

He was also part of the 2022 U-19 World Cup and took five crucial wickets in the three matches he played. Pathirana was fast-tracked into the senior Sri Lankan side after his tenure with CSK.

Barring Pathirana, there are quite a few players who played with the speedster during the U-19 World Cup and have made a name for themselves in international cricket. Let us now have a look at five players who you didn't know played the U-19 World Cup with Matheesha Pathirana.

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#5 Jayden Seales

Seales running in for TKR in the CPL. Source: Getty

The West Indies pacer was part of the 2020 U-19 World Cup and it was his impressive showing in the tournament which brought him in the limelight.

He picked up 10 wickets in six matches during the tournament at an average of 18.30.

Seales made his senior debut for West Indies in the Test format in 2021. He took a match-winning fifer against Pakistan in a few day’s time and has since become a permanent feature in the Windies red ball side. He has played 18 Tests so far, picking up 75 wickets at an average of 22.26.

Seales has only played a handful of white-ball matches. With age by his side, he will certainly want to become an all-format bowler as his career progresses.

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#4 William O’Rourke

Will O'Rourke has become a regular feature in the New Zealand senior side. Source: Getty

The tall fast bowler from New Zealand played in the 2020 U-19 World Cup. He didn't feature in the leading wicket taker list but it was his height and ability to hit the deck consistently and extract uneven bounce, which impressed everyone.

William O’Rourke was handed his international debut during an ODI against Bangladesh in December 2023. However, it was his performance in his Test debut against South Africa a few months later, which made him a permanent feature in the Test squad.

He is currently playing in the ODI series against Pakistan and was impressive during their Champions Trophy campaign in Pakistan and UAE. With the experienced pace duo of Tim Southee and Trent Boult having retired from international cricket, O’Rourke could emerge as their next big thing in the fast bowling cartel.

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#3 Noor Ahmad

Noor Ahmad appeals for a wicket during the 2024 T20 World Cup. Source: Getty

Just like Matheesha Pathirana, left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad played in two U-19 World Cups in 2020 and 2022. Due to the presence of a plethora of spinners in the Afghanistan team, he is yet to become a permanent feature in the playing XI.

He has been with the senior team for a while now and has played 13 ODIs and 14 T20Is for Afghanistan. Noor is among the very few players in world cricket who bowl left-arm wrist spin, so his uniqueness makes him a difficult bowler to pick.

He was roped in by the Chennai Super Kings in the mega auction ahead of the 2025 season and is currently the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with nine wickets in three matches.

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#2 Tilak Varma

Tilak Varma has cemented his spot in the Indian T20I side. Source: Getty

A couple of Indian batters featured on the list have been elevated to the senior team. Tilak Varma was part of the 2020 U-19 World Cup squad. While he couldn't score as many runs as he would have liked, the talent and skill set was there for everyone to see.

He was picked by the Mumbai Indians in the IPL ahead of the 2022 season and since then has become a pillar in the middle order. He has shown his class and confidence and doesn't shy away from taking on the bowlers from ball one.

It was his consistent showing for MI which propelled him to the Indian senior side. Since then, he has become an out-and-out match winner in T20Is and has smashed a couple of centuries in this format already. He has all the prospects to become an all-format player for India.

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#1 Yashasvi Jaiswal

Arguably the biggest name to have come out from the 2020 U-19 World Cup, Yashasvi Jaiswal has cemented his place as the opener for India in the longest format. He was the top scorer for India in the U-19 World Cup, scoring 400 runs.

Jaiswal rose into the limelight with his consistent performances for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and was duly handed an international debut in 2023. He scored a marathon century on his Test debut against the West Indies.

He has fallen off the radar in the white ball formats a bit due to the emergence of several other star batters but his Test numbers are staggering at a pretty tender age. He is someone who can play the situation perfectly and is one of the superstars in the making.