Lasith Malinga has made a bold move just ahead of IPL 2026 and it will be a big blow for five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI). The legendary Sri Lankan fast bowler has decided to delay his return to the Mumbai Indians (MI) camp and remain with the Sri Lanka national cricket team.
Lasith Malinga delays Mumbai Indians return ahead of IPL 2026
At a time when Indian Premier League (IPL) teams are busy planning and preparing, Malinga has chosen the country over millions of dollars. He has made it clear that despite retiring from all forms of the game in September 2021, Sri Lankan duty still comes first for him.
Malinga is set to serve as the bowling coach of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2026 season. But instead of joining the franchise immediately, he decided to continue working with the Sri Lankan team. He has recently completed a short-term role as consultant fast bowling coach.
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His main task was to prepare Sri Lanka’s pace attack for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, starting in February. Sri Lankan head coach Sanath Jayasuriya is extremely happy with Malinga’s commitment. This decision was not easy.
Lasith Malinga made a big sacrifice for Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya
IPL is the biggest T20 league in the world and Mumbai Indians rely heavily on Malinga’s expertise. He shares a special bond with the franchise, where he enjoyed huge success as a player and later moved into coaching. Nevertheless, Malinga has shown that national duty still comes first.
News Wire quoted Sanath Jayasuriya as saying, “Lasith Malinga made a huge sacrifice for Sri Lanka. He told us that he wanted to stay with the Sri Lanka team instead of joining their IPL team for a coaching stint. I am very grateful for that.”
“Lasith Malinga made a huge sacrifice for Sri Lanka. He told that he wanted to stay with the Sri Lanka team instead of joining their IPL team for his coaching stint. I am very grateful for that.”
– Sanath Jayasuriya expressed happiness that Lasith Malinga will remain in the future also… pic.twitter.com/qV9guLYDDo
– Newswire (@NewswireLK) 21 February 2026
Lasith Malinga’s legacy still shines
Meanwhile, Lasith Malinga ended his international career in September 2021 after serving Sri Lanka for 17 years. He took 546 wickets across all formats and left behind a legacy that very few fast bowlers can match. Malinga was not just another fast bowler.
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His famous slingshot bowling action made him different from others. Batsmen struggled to understand his arm speed and release point. His lethal yorkers, especially those aimed at the toes, were his greatest weapons. He created history many times in his career.
Malinga remains the only bowler to take three hat-tricks in ODI cricket. Overall, he took five hat-tricks in international cricket, the most by any bowler in the world. No other bowler in history has taken four wickets in four consecutive balls twice in international cricket.
| Lasith Malinga – IPL Career Statistics | |||||||||||||
| tournament | Team | mat | Inn | balls | it goes | wickets | B.B.I | bbm | Avenue | economy | sr | 4w | 5w |
| IPL | MI | 122 | 122 | 2827 | 3365 | 170 | May-13 | May-13 | 19.79 | 7.14 | 16.6 | 6 | 1 |
Sri Lanka reached Super Eight, ready to face England
Talking about the Sri Lanka cricket team, they have qualified for the Super Eight stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. The co-host of the tournament will be England in their Super 8 match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele on 22 February.
Earlier, they had suffered a shocking defeat against Zimbabwe in the group stage, but had defeated Australia, Oman and Ireland in the first round on home soil.