IPL 2022: 3 things Lasith Malinga brings as Rajasthan Royalsβ fast-bowling coach
Lasith Malinga is back in the Indian Premier League (IPL) but with a new team. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) have onboarded the Sri Lankan veteran as their fast bowling coach ahead of IPL 2022, which will commence on March 26.
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Lasith Malinga has been the league's standout bowler over the years, having won many a game for the Mumbai Indians (MI). The former Sri Lankan bowler with a slingy action is among the finest seamers the T20 format has seen. He picked up 390 wickets in the shortest version of the game at an economy rate of 7.07.
What does Lasith Malinga bring to RR?
In a new role with a new franchise, Lasith Malinga will team up with former teammate and RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara. The Royals will bank on their new fast-bowling coach to groom a young set of bowlers that they have at their disposal and make a mark in the upcoming season.
Here, we dissect three things that the veteran will bring to the Rajasthan Royals camp during IPL 2022:
#1 Winning mentality
Having been part of a champion team like the Mumbai Indians, Lasith Malinga is no stranger to winning titles. He has played a big role himself in several of MI's title victories over the years. This includes setting up their defense in the 2013 Final as well as sending down the Final over in 2019.
Clutch situations are as much about pressure as they are about skill. The former Sri Lankan pacer is well-equipped on both fronts, given the umpteen number of times he has delivered over the years in the death overs.
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It is this winning mentality and ability to handle pressure that RR has lacked in recent seasons gone by. Malinga's presence in the team's think tank for IPL 2022 comes as a massive shot in the arm for the 2008 champions, as they seek to become a force to reckon with again.
It must be added here that the yorker merchant was also the Sri Lankan skipper when they clinched the ICC World T20 title in 2014. RR will be able to feed from his knowledge and experience of tackling pressure, a key component when it comes to crossing the finish line.
#2 Experience and tactical nous
170 wickets from 122 IPL games at an economy rate of 7.14 - Lasith Malinga's numbers in the league are a testament to his greatness. What stood out in his success was the manner in which he knew how to time his variations during a bowling spell.
This tactical nous augurs well for the Royals ahead of IPL 2022. The Jaipur-based team have a number of young Indian seamers like Prasidh Krishna, Navdeep Saini, and Kuldeep Sen. Needless to say, they will be itching to pick the brains of the league's most successful bowler.
Moreover, RR's squad cries for a standout death-overs exponent, with Trent Boult set to shoulder a major burden on that front. Lasith Malinga's vast experience in this department could help the team's cause of devising sound strategies with regards to matchups and field placements. This is something that their young skipper Sanju Samson can use in the new season.
#3 Mentoring young fast bowlers
It is well known that Lasith Malinga was not just Jasprit Bumrah's bowling partner at MI, but was also his bowling mentor during the developmental phase of the latter's career. If anything, Bumrah has seamlessly taken the baton over from his more senior pro as the world's standout death-overs bowler.
Itβs been an honour playing alongside you and picking your brain all these years, Mali. Congratulations on a successful career, the IPL wonβt be the same without you. @mipaltan https://t.co/9XIPr13dtN
During his playing days, the Lankan was often spotted guiding youngsters from the opposition camp after a match was done. In fact, there's a famous story of him teaching Australia's Marcus Stoinis the slower ball on the sidelines of a warmup fixture ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
A young fast bowler cannot ask for a better guide and mentor to learn the tricks of the trade. Come IPL 2022, expect the aforementioned youngsters, as well as the likes of Obed McCoy, to find ways to master the yorker while adding more variations to their repertoire.
Also read: IPL 2022: 3 teams MI will be wary of in Group A