IPL 2024: Lasith Malinga Returns 'Home' As Mumbai Indians Rope In Sri Lanka Great As Bowling Coach - Reports

Former Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga will be returning to home, Mumbai Indians (MI), in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the franchise has signed him as the fast-bowling coach for the upcoming edition of the league, as per ESPNcricinfo.

Lasith Malinga will replace Shane Bond as the fast bowling coach. The former Australia pacer held the position for nine years, joining the team in 2015, and during his tenure team won four titles in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022. He also holds the head coach position for MI Emirates in the ILT20. 

Lasith Malinga ended his career as a player with Mumbai Indians in 2021 and after that, he took up the role of bowling coach with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL for two years. This will be his second stint with the team as a part of the support staff, having served as a mentor in 2018. 

However, in 2019, Lasith Malinga returned to the field and shared the ball with Jasprit Bumrah. He played an instrumental role in winning the fourth title for the team in 2019. It’ll be a homecoming for him as he has been an integral part of the franchise since his early days. 

Lasith Malinga played 139 games for Mumbai Indians overall and picked 195 wickets at an economy rate of 7.12. In IPL, he has taken 170 wickets, which is joint-sixth-most in the league. He also won five titles with Mumbai: four IPLs (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) and the Champions League T20 in 2011. 

IPL 2024: Lucknow Super Giants Rope In MSK Prasad As Strategic Consultant 

Apart from Mumbai Indians bringing Lasith Malinga as a bowling coach, Lucknow Super Giants roped in the former chief selector of BCCI, MSK Prasad, as the strategic consultant for the upcoming seasons of the league. The franchise confirmed the development in an official release recently. 

A former Indian international MSK Prasad will now be providing essential guidance across a spectrum of critical domains as the head of talent search, talent development, and academy business for the Lucknow Super Giants, who have made playoffs in the two consecutive editions of the IPL that they have played so far.