IPL 2017: I was sure Lasith Malinga was going to do something great in the final, reveals Sachin Tendulkar
What’s the story?
Mumbai Indians scripted one of the most enthralling comebacks in IPL history to edge out Rising Pune Supergiant by a run and win their third IPL title. Several of the Mumbai Indians players and coaching staff expressed their delight over this sensational triumph.
Team mentor Sachin Tendulkar was extremely pleased with his side’s performance and heaped a lot of praise on his team.
“Simply amazing”, said Sachin. “The first half wasn't great for us. We got together during the break and Mahela gave a nice speech. We believed that we could pull this off. The fielding was great under pressure. I have always believed in the saying, once a champion, always a champion.”
The 44-year old also had a lot of praise for Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga who bowled an economical spell of 0/21 from his four overs.
“He (Malinga) has done well for us for a number of years. I was so sure that he was going to do something great tonight. He might not have had a great season, but he is one guy who can change it in one over”, quoted the former MI skipper.
In case you did not know...
RPS had previously beaten MI in all their previous three meetings at IPL 2017 and looked set to beat them for a fourth time this season after restricting them to only 129 in the final. However, some sensational bowling from the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga, and Karn Sharma got the better of the RPS batsmen and brought the IPL trophy back to the Mumbai Indians.
The heart of the matter
Malinga did not have the best of IPLs in 2017 as he conceded over 8 runs an over in most matches, even conceding over 50 runs against Gujarat Lions and Kings XI Punjab. However, his performances bettered during the latter stages of the competition as he bowled an economical spell of 1/14 against RPS in the first Qualifier before bowling another economical spell of 0/21 in the final.
Also Read: IPL 2017: The final saga that kept you on tenterhooks
Malinga’s line and length were on target this time and he executed his Yorkers perfectly, making it difficult for Steve Smith and the other batsmen to hit big shots.
What’s next?
Malinga will now head towards Sri Lanka’s preparatory camp for the upcoming Champions Trophy. The island country begin their campaign on June 3 against South Africa after playing two warm-up matches against Australia and New Zealand.
Author’s Take
After fine performances in the latter stages of the IPL, Malinga will be wanting to replicate that form in the Champions Trophy and his experience will be handy for Sri Lanka as they have been pooled alongside India, South Africa and Pakistan.