Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga – The King of Yorkers and T20 Cricket Legend

Introduction

Lasith Malinga, popularly known as "Slinga Malinga," is regarded as one of the most devastating fast bowlers in cricket history. His unique round-arm action, deadly yorkers, and remarkable ability to take wickets in crucial moments made him one of the greatest bowlers of all time. Malinga played a key role in Sri Lanka’s ICC T20 World Cup victory in 2014 and remains the highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket. Throughout his career, Malinga redefined death bowling with his pinpoint accuracy and ability to bowl consecutive toe-crushing yorkers. This article covers everything about Lasith Malinga, including his early years, domestic career, international journey, captaincy, IPL success, retirement, coaching career, records, and milestones.

Lasith Malinga – Quick Facts

Attribute	Details
Full Name	Separamadu Lasith Malinga
Born	28 August 1983 (Age 41)
Birthplace	Galle, Sri Lanka
Batting Style	Right-handed
Bowling Style	Right-arm fast
Role	Bowler
National Team	Sri Lanka (2004–2020)
ODI Shirt Number	99
Nicknames	Slinga Malinga, Yorker King

Career Statistics

Lasith Malinga dominated world cricket with his exceptional wicket-taking abilities across all formats.

Format	Matches	Wickets	Bowling Average	Best Bowling	Economy Rate	Runs Scored	Batting Average
Tests	30	101	33.15	5/50	3.85	275	11.45
ODIs	226	338	28.87	6/38	5.35	567	6.83
T20Is	84	107	20.36	5/6	7.42	136	3.47
First-Class	84	257	30.28	6/17	3.95	585	9.75

Early Years

Lasith Malinga was born in Rathgama, a small coastal village near Galle, Sri Lanka. Growing up in a cricket-loving environment, he started playing with tennis balls on the beaches. His unusual round-arm action developed naturally from playing on sandy surfaces. Malinga’s raw pace and unorthodox action caught the attention of Champaka Ramanayake, a former Sri Lankan fast bowler and coach. Under his guidance, Malinga refined his skills and earned a place in Mahinda College, Galle, one of Sri Lanka’s top cricketing schools. His journey from playing street cricket to becoming an international cricket icon is nothing short of inspirational.

Domestic Career

Lasith Malinga’s professional cricket journey began in 2001 when he debuted for Galle Cricket Club in the Sri Lankan domestic circuit. His raw pace and accuracy made him a standout performer, earning him a contract with Nondescripts Cricket Club in 2004. Apart from Sri Lanka’s domestic league, he played in various T20 leagues worldwide, showcasing his skills in different conditions.

Notable Domestic & Franchise Leagues

• Sri Lanka Premier League – Ruhuna Royals
• Caribbean Premier League (CPL) – Guyana Amazon Warriors
• Big Bash League (BBL) – Melbourne Stars (Best BBL Bowling Figures: 6/7)
• Indian Premier League (IPL) – Mumbai Indians

His ability to bowl yorkers and slower deliveries made him one of the most sought-after players in T20 leagues.

International Career

Debut Matches

• Test Debut: 1 July 2004 vs Australia
• ODI Debut: 17 July 2004 vs UAE
• T20I Debut: 15 June 2006 vs England

Lasith Malinga’s international breakthrough came in 2004, when he impressed with his raw pace and ability to take wickets in crucial moments. His unorthodox action troubled the best batters worldwide, making him a nightmare to face.

Golden World Cup Moments

Malinga holds multiple World Cup records that are unlikely to be broken anytime soon.

• 2007 Cricket World Cup: First bowler to take 4 wickets in 4 balls (vs South Africa).
• 2011 Cricket World Cup: Took his second World Cup hat-trick (vs Kenya).
• 2019 Cricket World Cup: Became the fastest bowler to take 50 wickets in World Cups in just 26 innings.

His ability to deliver in crunch moments made him one of Sri Lanka’s most valuable players in ICC tournaments.

Sri Lanka Vice-Captain (2006–2009)

Malinga was appointed as Sri Lanka’s vice-captain in ODIs and T20Is between 2006 and 2009. His leadership skills and aggressive mindset helped the Sri Lankan bowling unit improve significantly during this period.

Captaincy

Lasith Malinga took over as Sri Lanka’s T20 captain in the 2014 ICC T20 World Cup after Dinesh Chandimal was banned. Under his leadership, Sri Lanka:

• Defeated India in the final.
• Won their first-ever ICC T20 World Cup title.

His calmness under pressure and tactical genius played a vital role in Sri Lanka’s success.

IPL & Franchise Cricket

Lasith Malinga is regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in IPL history.

Team	Years Played	Best IPL Bowling	Total Wickets
Mumbai Indians	2008–2017, 2019–2020	5/13	170

Key IPL Achievements

• 5 IPL Titles (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020).
• Purple Cap Winner (Most wickets) – 2011 (28 wickets).
• Took IPL’s First-Ever 100 Wickets.
• Match-Winning Last Ball in IPL 2019 Final.

Malinga’s ability to execute yorkers under pressure made him the most feared bowler in the league.

ODI Retirement

Lasith Malinga played his final ODI on 26 July 2019, against Bangladesh in Colombo. His last game saw him:

• Take 3 wickets, finishing with 338 ODI wickets.
• Surpass Anil Kumble to become the 9th highest wicket-taker in ODIs.

His ODI retirement marked the end of an era for Sri Lanka’s fast-bowling legacy. Post ODI Retirement & T20I Comeback Even after retiring from ODIs, Malinga continued playing T20I cricket.

• September 2019: Became the first bowler to take 100 T20I wickets.
• Took 4 wickets in 4 balls against New Zealand, repeating his famous 2007 World Cup feat.

In March 2020, he played his final T20I match against West Indies before retiring from all forms of international cricket in September 2021.

Coaching Career

After retiring, Malinga transitioned into coaching, helping develop the next generation of fast bowlers.

Year	Coaching Role
2018	Bowling Mentor – Mumbai Indians
2022	Fast Bowling Coach – Rajasthan Royals
2023	Bowling Coach – Mumbai Indians

His expertise in death bowling and yorkers is now helping young fast bowlers improve.

Records & Milestones

Record	Details
Most Hat-Tricks in International Cricket	5 (3 ODIs, 2 T20Is)
First Bowler to Take 100 T20I Wickets	Achieved in 2019
First Bowler to Take 4 Wickets in 4 Balls Twice	2007 & 2019
Most Wickets in ICC T20 World Cups	38 wickets

Lasith Malinga Latest News & Updates

Stay updated with the latest on Lasith Malinga, including: His coaching career with Mumbai Indians & Rajasthan Royals. Exclusive insights on T20 bowling techniques. Interviews on Sri Lanka’s future in cricket. Check out the Latest News on Lasith Malinga!