Lasith Malinga returns to Mumbai Indians as fast bowling coach for IPL 2024 – Report
Lasith Malinga is all set to return to Mumbai Indians (MI) as a fast bowling coach for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He will reportedly replace Shane Bond, who will part ways with MI after nine years.
Malinga played for MI from 2008 to 2020 and ended as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament. He had 170 wickets in 122 IPL games to his name, currently the joint-sixth-most in the T20 league, when he retired in 2021.
The Sri Lankan then joined Rajasthan Royals (RR) as their pace-bowling coach during IPL 2022 and 2023 campaigns. The Royals finished finalists in 2022 (lost to eventual champions Gujarat Titans), but failed to qualify in the knockouts in the 2023 season, ending fifth in the points table.
Malinga won four IPL trophies with MI (2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019) before being ruled out for the 2020 season. He also won the Champions League T20 trophy with the Mumbai-based franchise in 2011.
As per ESPNCricinfo, it will be Malinga’s second stint with MI as a support staff. The lanky pacer previously served as their mentor in 2018 before he returned to action a year later.
The 39-year-old will now look to work on raw bowling talents like Akash Madhwal, who stepped up in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah in IPL 2023. Only two MI bowlers managed to take more than 10 wickets in the 2023 season — Madhwal (14 wickets in eight games) and Jason Behrendorff (14 wickets in 12 games).
Malinga also served as Sri Lanka’s bowling strategy coach in the white-ball series against Australia in 2022. The Islanders registered their first series win (3-2 in five-game series) over Australia at home in three decades.
Will Shane Bond continue with MI's sister franchises?
Meanwhile, it remains uncertain whether Shane Bond, who joined Mumbai Indians in 2015, will continue with their sister franchises in ILT20 (UAE), Major League Cricket (USA), and the SA20 (South Africa).
Besides being MI’s fast bowling coach, he served as the head coach of MI Emirates in ILT20 in January-February earlier this year. The franchise finished third in the six-team tournament.
MI, on the other hand, finished in knockouts in IPL 2023, losing the second qualifier to Gujarat Titans.
MI squad ahead of IPL 2024 mini auction: Rohit Sharma, Sandeep Warrier, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Dewald Brevis, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Mohd Arshad Khan, Ramandeep Singh, Hrithik Shokeen, Arjun Tendulkar, Tristan Stubbs, Kumar Kartikeya, Jason Behrendorff, Akash Madhwal, Cameron Green, Riley Meredith, Piyush Chawla, Duan Jansen, Vishnu Vinod, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Raghav Goyal, Chris Jordan