The Mumbai Indians camp was left disappointed as Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga, who is one of the most successful bowlers in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), was ruled out of the first six matches of the IPL 2019 in order to prepare for upcoming World Cup.
However, the latest news is that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has slammed the Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC) board for the unanticipated blow as Malinga was notified to be available during the 2019 IPL auction.
After BCCI sent in the strong words to SLC, Malinga is expected to join the Mumbai Indians squad in Bengaluru, on March 25. He will, however, miss Mumbai’s opening match against Delhi Capitals on March 24.
Malinga is now set to play three matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) scheduled to be played on March 28, March 30 and April 3 respectively.
He will then play in the Super Provincial One Day domestic tournament during which Mumbai will play only two matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab. In total, Malinga will miss three matches and not six, as reported earlier.
Malinga, who went unsold at the 2018 auctions, was roped in as a bowling mentor ahead of the IPL season 11.
