Lasith Malinga, the former pace bowler from Sri Lanka, is set to make a comeback to the Mumbai Indians, the five-time champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), as their fast bowling coach in the upcoming IPL 2024 season. Malinga will be replacing Shane Bond in the upcoming edition of IPL 2024.
Lasith Malinga is making a return to the Mumbai Indians’ camp, this time taking on the role of their bowling coach in preparation for the IPL 2024 season. Notably, the Mumbai Indians bid farewell to their long-standing bowling coach, Shane Bond from New Zealand, who had served in that capacity for an impressive nine years.
A true Mumbai Indians icon, Malinga graced the team with his presence for over a decade, spanning from 2009 to 2019. Now, he is set to join the ranks under the leadership of Mark Boucher for the upcoming 2024 season. The coaching lineup also boasts another former MI teammate of Malinga’s, the formidable Kieron Pollard.
Malinga’s association with the Mumbai Indians dates back to 2009 and has been incredibly fruitful, yielding an impressive seven trophies for the team. This impressive tally includes four IPL titles, two Champions League T20 victories, and a Major League Cricket trophy secured during his tenure as a bowling coach. It’s worth mentioning that he had previously lent his expertise as the fast bowling coach for the Rajasthan Royals.
Malinga serves as the bowling coach for two additional teams under the Mumbai Indians’ ownership: MI Cape Town in the South African SA20 league and MI New York in the USA’s Major League Cricket. Additionally, he took on a mentoring role for the MI team during the 2018 IPL season while he was on a playing hiatus.
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“It is truly an honor for me to be appointed Bowling Coach of Mumbai Indians and my journey in the #OneFamily continues, following MI New York and MI Cape Town. I am looking forward to working closely with Mark, Polly, Rohit, and the rest of the team, especially the bowling unit, whose approach I loved last season, and the young MI talent that has the potential to excel, backed by the passionate MI Paltan,” Malinga was quoted by MI website.