IPL 2014: Lasith Malinga will miss remainder of the season

Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga has played his final IPL game of the season for the Mumbai Indians. The Sri Lankan will fly to England to represent his country in the ODI and T20 series in England.

The ace fast bowler is expected to be a massive miss for the Mukesh Ambani-owned franchise. Malinga has been the most successful bowler in the tournament’s history despite missing an entire season – in 2008 – due to a knee injury. He has picked up 119 wickets in 84 games.

Malinga has been a vital cog in the Mumbai Indians squad over the years, inspiring them to one IPL and two Champions League titles. He was retained by the franchise in 2011 and 2014.

Although the Mumbai-based franchise have had a poor season on the field, Malinga has continued to perform at a very high level. He picked up 16 wickets in just 10 matches, conceding less than 7 runs an over on average.

Sri Lanka begin their tour of England with a T20 international against the hosts on 20 May at The Oval. That will be followed by a five-match ODI series, which commences on May 22 at the same venue. The Lankans will be hoping to build on their success at the ICC World T20.