Maheesh Theekshana Profile: CPL Stats, Salary & Career (2026)
Maheesh Theekshana is a Sri Lankan mystery spinner (right-arm off-break) born 1 August 2000 in Colombo. He plays for Sri Lanka internationally, the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, and the Saint Lucia Kings in CPL 2026. Known for his carrom ball and rare spinner’s yorker, he won the 2023 IPL with CSK and the 2022 Asia Cup with Sri Lanka.
Theekshana is a specialist white-ball off-spinner whose career is defined by variation bowling rather than raw pace or turn. His 2026 season brings a fresh CPL home at Saint Lucia Kings after three years at Barbados Royals, pairing him with fellow mystery spinner Noor Ahmad. He remains primarily a bowling asset with minimal batting output, and his Test career (2 caps) is a minor part of an otherwise white-ball-focused résumé.
Maheesh Theekshana has spent the last five years turning himself from a fitness-test failure into one of world cricket’s most sought-after white-ball spinners. In 2026, he enters a new chapter: a first-time deal with Saint Lucia Kings in the Caribbean Premier League, a rebuilding role at Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, and a settled spot in Sri Lanka’s white-ball attack.
Maheesh Theekshana Profile
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Morawakage Maheesh Theekshana |
| Nickname | Theekshana |
| Date of Birth | 1 August 2000 |
| Age | 25 years (turns 26 in August 2026) |
| Birthplace | Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Batting Style | Right-handed |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm off-break (“mystery spinner”) |
| Playing Role | Bowler |
| Current International Team | Sri Lanka |
| Current Domestic Team | Colts Cricket Club / Sri Lanka Army Sports Club |
| Current CPL Team (2026) | Saint Lucia Kings |
| IPL Team | Rajasthan Royals |
| PSL Team | None (no PSL deal to date) |
| Major Franchise Teams | Chennai Super Kings (IPL), Rajasthan Royals (IPL), Barbados Royals (CPL), Saint Lucia Kings (CPL), Jaffna Kings (LPL), Trinbago Knight Riders (CPL, drafted but did not play) |
| International Debut | ODI: 7 September 2021 v South Africa; T20I: 10 September 2021 v South Africa; Test: 1 July 2022 v Australia |
| Marital Status | Not officially confirmed (see Personal Life section) |
| Estimated Net Worth | Roughly $1–5 million USD (estimate, see Net Worth section) |
| Official Instagram | @maheesh_theekshana |
| Official X (Twitter) | @maheesht61 |
Early Life
Theekshana’s early life is one of the more unusual origin stories in modern Sri Lankan cricket. He was raised largely by his grandmother in Sedawatta, a working-class suburb of Colombo, and started at Siddhartha Vidyalaya before two old boys of St. Benedict’s College spotted his ability and helped arrange his transfer. St. Benedict’s initially covered his cricket expenses and later awarded him a scholarship — an investment he repaid by winning the All-Island Best All-Rounder award in his final year.
What’s less often written about is the fitness battle behind that success. Theekshana was overweight enough as a teenager — reportedly touching 117 kg during his Under-19 years — that he was left out of Sri Lanka’s 2018 Under-19 World Cup squad on fitness grounds alone. He couldn’t clear the basic two-kilometre run or Yo-Yo test benchmarks. It was only after joining the Sri Lanka Army in 2020, where he trained under military discipline and dropped roughly 22 kg, that his career actually took off. That transformation matters for understanding him as a cricketer: the control and stamina that let him bowl at pace for a spinner today were built, not given.
At the National Cricket Academy, spin-bowling coach Simon Willis was struck by his control, bounce, and variations — along with an action that draws obvious comparisons to his mentor, Ajantha Mendis.
Domestic Career
Theekshana made his List A debut for Colts Cricket Club on 14 March 2018, followed by his first-class debut for the same club in December 2018. His breakout domestic moment came at the SLC Invitational T20 League in 2021, strong enough to force his way into the national ODI and T20I squads that September. Later that year, the Lanka Premier League draft sent him to Jaffna Kings (then Jaffna Stallions), and he repaid that faith immediately — finishing as the tournament’s joint-highest wicket-taker with 16 scalps as Jaffna won the title.
International Career
Theekshana’s international story compresses a lot into under five years:
- 7 September 2021 — ODI debut v South Africa; took a wicket with his very first ball and finished with 4/37.
- 10 September 2021 — T20I debut, also v South Africa.
- 2021 T20 World Cup — Finished as Sri Lanka’s second-highest wicket-taker with 8 wickets.
- 2022 Asia Cup — Key part of Sri Lanka’s title-winning campaign, forming a potent spin pairing with Wanindu Hasaranga.
- 1 July 2022 — Test debut v Australia.
- 2024 T20 World Cup — Sri Lanka exited early, but Theekshana remained one of the squad’s more reliable performers.
Across formats, he’s built a reputation as a middle-overs control bowler rather than a pure strike weapon in ODIs, while being genuinely dangerous with the new ball and at the death in T20 cricket because of his pace-off variations.
Franchise Cricket Career
Franchise cricket is really where Theekshana’s global profile was built. A snapshot of where he’s played:
| League | Team(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Premier League | Chennai Super Kings (2022–2024), Rajasthan Royals (2025–present) | Active |
| Caribbean Premier League | Trinbago Knight Riders (2022 draft, unplayed), Barbados Royals (2023–2025), Saint Lucia Kings (2026–present) | Active |
| Lanka Premier League | Jaffna Kings/Stallions | Active |
| Big Bash League | None to date | — |
| SA20 | None to date | — |
| ILT20 | None to date | — |
| Pakistan Super League | None to date | — |
| Major League Cricket / The Hundred | None to date | — |
His IPL journey is worth a closer look. Chennai Super Kings picked him for INR 70 lakh in the 2022 auction, and he immediately made history — becoming, at 21 years and 255 days, the youngest bowler to take a four-wicket haul in IPL history, doing it against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was part of CSK’s 2023 title-winning squad, playing a direct role in the final by dismissing a set Sai Sudharsan and a dangerous Rashid Khan. His CSK role shrank in 2024 (just two appearances), and the franchise released him ahead of the 2025 mega auction. Rajasthan Royals picked him up for INR 4.4 crore, giving him a fresh IPL home — and notably, his second “Royals” franchise after his CPL stint with Barbados.
Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Career
This is the section that matters most for anyone tracking Theekshana’s 2026 season, so it’s worth going deep.
Current CPL Team & 2026 Squad Status
Theekshana signed with Saint Lucia Kings for CPL 2026 — his first season with the franchise after three years attached to Barbados. The Kings unveiled him as part of a heavily subcontinental-flavoured overseas contingent that also includes Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad and Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka, alongside Kiwi wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert and USA seamer Shadley van Schalkwyk. The move reunites him with Noor Ahmad, giving the Kings a genuinely elite two-pronged spin attack for tracks that traditionally turn as the tournament progresses.
Expected Role in CPL 2026
Based on how St Lucia’s team has been framed publicly, expect Theekshana to operate as a powerplay-to-middle-overs control option, with the tactical flexibility to bowl at the death given his yorker-style variations — a skill genuinely rare among finger spinners. He is not likely to open the bowling ahead of Noor Ahmad in most matchups, but expect him to bowl at least one powerplay over regularly, a role he’s grown into at both CSK and Barbados.
CPL Draft & Team History
| Season | Team | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Trinbago Knight Riders | Drafted, but never played — could not secure a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Sri Lanka Cricket |
| 2023 | Barbados Royals | Selected in the draft; withdrew due to a schedule clash with Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup commitments |
| 2024 | Barbados Royals | First actual CPL season; retained from the previous year’s squad |
| 2025 | Barbados Royals (retained, limited game-time) | Squad member; national and IPL commitments limited his availability |
| 2026 | Saint Lucia Kings | New overseas signing |
This history is a useful data point for fantasy and match-preview purposes: 2024 was effectively Theekshana’s only full CPL season to date, which means his 2026 body of work at St Lucia will be judged on a relatively small sample against a long international résumé.
CPL 2024 Performance (His Breakout CPL Season)
Playing his first full CPL campaign for Barbados Royals, Theekshana was one of the tournament’s standout bowlers:
- 17 wickets in 12 innings — finishing as one of the tournament’s leading wicket-takers
- Bowling average around 17.5, among the best in the competition that year
- His performances were a major factor in the Barbados Royals reaching Qualifier 2 of the playoffs
- Ranked among the CPL 2024 season’s highest “Impact Points” bowlers alongside Noor Ahmad and Moeen Ali, per CPL’s own analytics
CPL Career Statistics (Overall)
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPL (career to date) | Concentrated mainly in the 2024 season, plus limited 2025 appearances | 17+ (2024 season alone) | Multi-wicket hauls recorded in 2024 | Full multi-season aggregate not yet consistently published by CPL’s official stats provider as of writing |
Why we’re not publishing a “last 10 matches” table or a team-by-team breakdown: Theekshana has played a genuinely small number of CPL matches to date (largely confined to the 2024 season), and CPL’s official statistics portal does not currently publish a granular opponent-by-opponent or home/away breakdown for him. Rather than invent numbers that would mislead readers or fantasy players, we’re flagging this transparently — and we’ll update this section once the 2026 season (starting 7 August) generates fresh, verifiable data.
Fantasy Cricket & Captaincy Value for CPL 2026
For fantasy formats, Theekshana is a value middle-order pick rather than a marquee name: he won’t score you fantasy points with the bat (his List A and T20 batting returns are minimal — a lower-order role only), but his wicket-taking and economy-rate consistency in the powerplay make him a reliable bowling-points source, especially in venues that assist spin. He is not expected to be handed the Saint Lucia Kings captaincy or vice-captaincy — that mantle sits with the West Indian core and Charith Asalanka’s leadership experience — but he could be used as a tactical death-overs option in specific matchups, given his yorker variation.
Fitness & Injury Status
No verified injury concerns are on record for Theekshana heading into CPL 2026. His fitness transformation since 2020 has been a recurring subplot of his career, and recent squad announcements list him without any fitness caveat.
Playing Style
Strengths:
- Genuine mystery-spin package: off-break, carrom ball, googly, and a doosra-style variation
- Bowls noticeably faster than most finger spinners — often exceeding 100 km/h — which compresses batters’ reaction time
- Rare ability among spinners to bowl a convincing yorker, useful at the death
- Excellent control of length in the powerplay, where he’s often used as an early wicket-taking option in white-ball cricket
Weaknesses:
- Limited with the bat — a genuine tail-ender whose international and franchise batting returns are modest across every format
- Effectiveness can dip on flat, non-turning surfaces where variation alone isn’t enough
- Test cricket remains a minor part of his profile (just 2 caps), so his red-ball game is largely unproven at the highest level
Comparison with similar players: Theekshana is most often compared to his own mentor, Ajantha Mendis, for the mystery-spin package and carrom-ball action, and to Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad for the powerplay-strike-bowler role in franchise cricket — fittingly, the two will now share a new-ball spin attack at Saint Lucia Kings in 2026.
Career Statistics
Figures below reflect the most recently available aggregated career stats as of mid-2026. Bowling figures (BB = Best Bowling) reflect single-innings career-best returns.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Economy | Bowling Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 2 | 5 | 2/28 | 3.09 | 37.60 |
| ODI | 61 | 81 | 4/25 | 4.55 | 27.66 |
| T20I | 85 | 83 | 3/17 | 7.08 | 27.30 |
| T20 (all franchise + international) | 230 | 235 | 4/15 | 7.08 | 26.27 |
| IPL (career) | 38 | 36 | 4/33 | 8.27 | 33.53 |
Batting (for context — he’s a genuine tail-ender):
| Format | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 3 | 59 | 38 | 19.66 |
| ODI | 34 | 344 | 38 | 16.38 |
| T20I | 39 | 108 | 14 | 4.32 |
| IPL | 6 | 17 | 7* | 5.67 |
Records & Achievements
- Youngest bowler in IPL history to take a four-wicket haul (21 years, 255 days, v RCB, 2022)
- First Sri Lankan international cricketer born in the 21st century
- Joint-highest wicket-taker, Lanka Premier League 2021 (16 wickets for Jaffna Kings)
- IPL champion with Chennai Super Kings, 2023
- Asia Cup champion with Sri Lanka, 2022
- Second-highest Sri Lankan wicket-taker at the 2021 T20 World Cup (8 wickets)
- Reached a career-best 8th in the ICC Men’s T20I bowler rankings (June 2022)
Latest Form
Theekshana enters the CPL 2026 season (which runs from 7 August to 20 September, with the final in Barbados) off the back of continued involvement in Sri Lanka’s white-ball setup, including recent T20I and ODI appearances against Oman and England, respectively, in early 2026. His new Saint Lucia Kings deal represents a genuine change of scenery after three CPL seasons on Barbados’ books, and it pairs him with a stronger overseas spin unit than he’s previously had in the Caribbean.
Personal Life
Theekshana keeps a notably low public profile off the field, and this is one area where online biographies genuinely conflict with each other — several sites report he married a woman named Arthika Yonali in January 2025, while other equally unverified sources describe him as single. Neither claim is confirmed through an official statement from Theekshana or Sri Lanka Cricket, so we’re not stating a marital status as fact here. Details about his religion and extended family circulating online are similarly unverified and inconsistent across sources, so we’ve left them out rather than risk publishing inaccurate personal information.
What is well documented: he was largely raised by his grandmother, credits her as a major influence on his discipline and resilience, and served in the Sri Lanka Army’s Gajaba Regiment, reaching the rank of Sergeant after the 2022 Asia Cup win. He keeps his social media focused almost entirely on cricket content rather than personal life updates.
Net Worth
Public net worth estimates for Theekshana vary widely — from roughly $1 million to $10 million — because most of these figures are unofficial aggregator estimates rather than disclosed financial data. What we can verify from contract and auction records:
- IPL earnings: INR 70 lakh (CSK, 2022 auction) → INR 4.4 crore (Rajasthan Royals, 2025 mega auction)
- Sri Lanka Cricket central contract: reported to be worth roughly $100,000 annually, plus match fees
- CPL and LPL contracts: franchise fees are not publicly disclosed by CPL or LPL, in line with those leagues’ general practice
- Endorsements: limited compared to India-based stars, reflecting his lower public profile outside cricket
Given the gap between disclosed IPL/SLC figures and the wide range of third-party net worth estimates, treat any single net-worth figure you see online with some caution — including the range cited in this article.
Official Social Media
- Instagram: @maheesh_theekshana
- X (Twitter): @maheesht61
Interesting Facts
- He was once too overweight (reportedly ~117 kg) to be selected for Sri Lanka’s 2018 U-19 World Cup squad.
- He lost around 22 kg after joining the Sri Lanka Army in 2020.
- He’s the first Sri Lankan international cricketer born in the 21st century.
- His bowling action and mystery-spin repertoire are directly inspired by mentor Ajantha Mendis.
- He can bowl a yorker — an extremely rare skill for a finger spinner.
- He took a wicket with his very first ball in ODI cricket (v South Africa, 2021).
- He became the youngest IPL bowler ever to take a four-wicket haul, at 21 years, 255 days.
- He served in the Sri Lanka Army’s Gajaba Regiment and was promoted to Sergeant.
- He was drafted by the Trinbago Knight Riders in 2022 but never played a CPL game for them due to NOC issues.
- He’s played for two different “Royals” franchises — Barbados Royals (CPL) and Rajasthan Royals (IPL).
- He finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the 2021 Lanka Premier League on his first appearance for Jaffna Kings.
- He won the IPL with Chennai Super Kings in 2023, contributing directly to the title-clinching final.
- He typically bowls his off-breaks noticeably faster than 100 km/h, unusual for a spinner.
- His 2026 CPL move to Saint Lucia Kings reunites him with fellow mystery spinner Noor Ahmad.
- He was part of Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup-winning squad in 2022.
Career Timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Born 1 August, Colombo |
| 2018 | List A and first-class debut for Colts Cricket Club |
| 2020 | Joins Sri Lanka Army; major fitness transformation begins |
| 2021 | ODI, T20I debuts v South Africa; T20 World Cup; joint-highest LPL wicket-taker for Jaffna Kings |
| 2022 | IPL debut with CSK; youngest IPL bowler to a 4-wicket haul; Test debut v Australia; Asia Cup title with Sri Lanka; drafted by TKR for CPL (unplayed) |
| 2023 | Drafted by Barbados Royals (CPL, withdrew due to Asia Cup clash) |
| 2024 | First full CPL season with Barbados Royals — 17 wickets, reached Qualifier 2 |
| 2025 | Released by CSK; signed by Rajasthan Royals (IPL) for INR 4.4 crore |
| 2026 | Signs with Saint Lucia Kings for CPL 2026 |
FAQs
How old is Maheesh Theekshana?
He was born on 1 August 2000, making him 25 years old as of mid-2026 (he turns 26 in August).
What is Maheesh Theekshana’s bowling style?
Right-arm off-break, known as a “mystery spinner” for his carrom ball, googly, and doosra-style variations.
Which CPL team does Maheesh Theekshana play for in 2026?
Saint Lucia Kings, a new signing for the 2026 season after three years with Barbados Royals.
Which IPL team does Maheesh Theekshana play for?
Rajasthan Royals, who signed him for INR 4.4 crore at the 2025 mega auction after Chennai Super Kings released him.
Did Maheesh Theekshana play for the Chennai Super Kings?
Yes, from 2022 to 2024, including their 2023 IPL title win.
How many CPL seasons has Maheesh Theekshana actually played?
Effectively one full season (2024) for Barbados Royals, plus limited appearances in other years — 2022 and 2023 CPL selections went unplayed.
What is Maheesh Theekshana’s highest wicket haul in a CPL season?
17 wickets in the 2024 season for Barbados Royals.
Is Maheesh Theekshana married?
This is not officially confirmed. Some reports claim a January 2025 marriage; others describe him as single. Neither has been verified by an official statement.
What is Maheesh Theekshana’s jersey number?
He has generally worn No. 61 in international cricket.
What is Maheesh Theekshana’s net worth?
Public estimates range roughly from $1 million to $10 million, though this is not based on officially disclosed figures.
Has Maheesh Theekshana played in the PSL, BBL, SA20, or ILT20?
No, he has not signed with a franchise in any of those leagues to date.
What is Maheesh Theekshana’s best bowling figure in the IPL?
4/33 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2022, which also made him the youngest bowler in IPL history with a four-wicket haul.
Who is Maheesh Theekshana’s mentor?
Former Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis, whose bowling action and variations heavily influenced Theekshana’s style.
How many Test matches has Maheesh Theekshana played?
Just 2, reflecting his primary role as a white-ball specialist.
What are Theekshana’s ODI and T20I wicket totals?
81 wickets in 61 ODIs and 83 wickets in 85 T20Is (career figures as of mid-2026).
Did Maheesh Theekshana win the Asia Cup?
Yes, with Sri Lanka in 2022, alongside Wanindu Hasaranga in the spin attack.
Why didn’t Theekshana play CPL in 2022 or 2023?
In 2022, he was drafted by the Trinbago Knight Riders but couldn’t secure a No Objection Certificate from Sri Lanka Cricket. In 2023, he withdrew from his Barbados Royals selection due to a scheduling clash with the Asia Cup.
