International Career

Debut

Malinga's Test career kicked off on 1 July 2004 when he faced Australia at Marrara Oval in Darwin. He immediately showed his prowess by claiming six wickets in the match, including big names like Darren Lehmann, Adam Gilchrist, and Shane Warne. The Australian team's friendliness left a lasting impression on him, especially when Adam Gilchrist personally handed him a match stump in the Sri Lankan dressing room after the game.

Malinga entered the ODI scene during Sri Lanka's 2004 Asia Cup opener against the United Arab Emirates. He made an impact by dismissing the Emirati captain, Khurram Khan, and ended the match with figures of 1/39. Since then, he has solidified his position as a key player in the ODI squad.

With his lightning-fast pace and accurate bouncers, he quickly became Sri Lanka's most formidable Test bowler. His reputation for troubling batsmen grew as he consistently bowled at speeds between 140 and 150 km/h (87 and 93 mph), sometimes even faster. However, as time passed, his pace slightly diminished, averaging around 130 and 140 km/h (81 and 87 mph). Nevertheless, his slower off cutter remained a menacing weapon. His remarkable debut in the test scene came when he tore through the New Zealand top order, helping Sri Lanka secure a draw in the test series during their 2006/07 tour. To extend his career in ODI and T20 cricket, he made the decision to retire from Test cricket on 22 April 2011.

World Cups

In a thrilling match during the 2007 Cricket World Cup Super 8, Malinga showcased his incredible talent by taking four wickets in four consecutive balls. It was a historic moment in One Day International cricket. With just five runs needed for victory and five wickets in hand, Malinga was given the ball in the 45th over of South Africa's innings. In a remarkable display of skill, he clean bowled Shaun Pollock and had Andrew Hall caught at cover in the final two balls of the over. In his next over, he removed Jacques Kallis caught behind and then bowled Makhaya Ntini. This incredible feat marked the fifth hat-trick in World Cup history, the third ODI hat-trick for Sri Lanka, and the 24th overall in ODIs. Malinga almost claimed the final wicket as a ball narrowly missed the stumps. Despite his lethal performance, South Africa managed to win the match by just one wicket with 10 balls remaining. Malinga's outstanding performance earned him a well-deserved spot in the 'Team of the Tournament' for the 2007 World Cup, as recognized by ESPNcricinfo.

Malinga's hat-trick heroics continued during the 2011 Cricket World Cup when he achieved his second career hat-trick in Sri Lanka's group stage match against Kenya. This remarkable achievement made him the first bowler to claim two World Cup hat-tricks and the fourth player to achieve two hat-tricks in all One Day International cricket, joining the ranks of Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Chaminda Vaas. ESPNcricinfo acknowledged his exceptional performance by including him in the 'Team of the Tournament'. Malinga's hat-trick spree didn't end there, as he managed to secure yet another hat-trick against Australia in August 2011, making him the first player to achieve three hat-tricks in ODI cricket.

Malinga's outstanding performances in 2011 earned him recognition as the 12th man in the World ODI XI by the ICC. He continued to impress and was named in the World ODI XI by the ICC for both 2012 and 2013. ESPNcricinfo also acknowledged his brilliance by including him in their World ODI XI. Malinga's consistent excellence and ability to deliver under pressure have solidified his status as one of the greatest bowlers in cricket history.

Injuries

After the West Indies tour, Malinga faced a back injury and a knee injury. As a result, he missed out on both the New Zealand and Indian tours, with hopes of being fit for the start of the 2016 ICC World Twenty20. Malinga led the 2016 Asia Cup as captain, showcasing his skills against UAE with a match-winning bowling performance. However, his knee injury forced him to sit out the remaining matches, leading to Sri Lanka losing all of them. Despite being named captain for the World T20 team, Malinga had to step down due to ongoing injuries, with Angelo Mathews taking over the captaincy across all formats. Despite hopes of a recovery for the World Cup matches, Malinga's injuries ultimately kept him out of the Twenty20 squad, forcing him to return home due to a persistent bone bruise on his left knee.

Becoming Captain

In October 2012, Malinga was given the prestigious role of vice-captain for the Sri Lankan Twenty20 International team. Two years later, he took charge as the captain of the Sri Lankan Cricket Team in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20, after Dinesh Chandimal faced a ban. Under Malinga's exceptional leadership, the team emerged victorious, clinching the world cup title. However, his career was plagued by continuous injuries, leading him to step down from the captaincy in 2015.

Malinga's remarkable performance of 5 for 56 against Pakistan at Mirpur in 2014 was hailed as the best ODI Bowling Performance of the year by ESPNcricinfo. He was also recognized for his outstanding spell of 5 for 52 against the same opponents during the group stage game.

In 2016, Malinga was entrusted with the responsibility of leading the ODI team against India, as the permanent captain was sidelined due to injuries. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka faced defeat in that match.

On 14 December 2018, Malinga was given the honor of captaining the limited-overs team for the New Zealand tour.

Making a Comeback

Malinga's cricket journey has been filled with ups and downs. After taking a break from the game for a year due to injuries, he missed out on some crucial matches against England, Australia, and Zimbabwe. Sri Lanka faced heavy defeats and their international rankings suffered as a result. Just when he had recovered from his injuries, Malinga was struck by dengue and had to sit out the South Africa series.

However, he made a strong comeback during the Australian tour, playing in the match against Prime Minister's XI. It was a memorable return for Malinga as he took two wickets and two catches, helping Sri Lanka secure a victory by 5 wickets.

But the highlight of Malinga's comeback was yet to come. During the second T20I against Bangladesh, he achieved a remarkable feat by taking a hat-trick. This made him the second Sri Lankan and fifth overall to achieve a T20I hat-trick. In fact, Malinga holds the record for the most international hat-tricks by a Sri Lankan player, sharing the honor with Pakistani legend Wasim Akram.

Malinga's impressive performance earned him a spot in the ODI squad for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. However, his comeback in the tournament didn't go as planned. In the match against South Africa, he failed to take any wickets, conceded 57 runs, and even dropped a catch. Sri Lanka suffered a heavy defeat, losing by 96 runs.

Despite the setbacks, Malinga's journey in cricket has been a testament to his resilience and talent. He has proven time and again that he is a force to be reckoned with on the field.

During the Indian ODI series, captain Upul Tharanga faced a suspension of two ODIs due to a slow over rate. As a result, Chamara Kapugedera was given the responsibility of being the stand-in captain for those two matches. However, Kapugedera unfortunately aggravated a back injury during the third ODI and had to be ruled out of the series. For the fourth ODI, Lasith Malinga was appointed as the stand-in captain. It was in this match that Malinga achieved a significant milestone by taking his 300th ODI wicket, dismissing none other than Virat Kohli. Despite this achievement, India managed to score a massive 375 runs while Sri Lanka could only muster 207 runs, resulting in a 4-0 series loss for Sri Lanka. In the fifth match, India continued their dominance and whitewashed Sri Lanka for the second consecutive time in a 5-match series.

Since his comeback, Malinga's performance with the ball and in the field has not been up to his usual standards. However, he has not announced an immediate retirement and expressed his desire to continue playing international cricket for Sri Lanka until the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Unfortunately, Malinga's bowling average has been 62.30 for each of his 10 wickets since his return, and he has been conceding runs at a rate of six per over. Due to his ineffective performance, Malinga was not included in the ODI squad for the 2017-18 Pakistan series in the UAE.

In 2018, Malinga faced a series of setbacks that prevented him from being considered for the Sri Lankan cricket team's selection in the Nidahas Trophy. His continuous injuries hindered his chances, and Sri Lanka suffered heavy losses against Bangladesh in the series. Not only was he left out from the team selection process in late 2017 due to the introduction of minimum fitness standards by the sports ministry, but he also challenged the then sports minister, Dayasiri Jayasekara, regarding his exclusion. In response, Dayasiri used his authoritarian powers to remove Malinga from the national team for over a year.

Sri Lanka Cricket advised Malinga to participate in the domestic competition with the promise of being selected for upcoming international tours. However, his coaching responsibilities with the Mumbai Indians prevented him from participating in the 2018 Super Provincial One Day Tournament. Despite his hopes of joining the international squad for the South African limited-over tour in Sri Lanka, Malinga was not chosen for either the ODIs or T20Is.

Despite facing setbacks, he persevered in his efforts to improve his fitness and bowling skills, seeking guidance from his mentor Anusha Ramanayake. His hard work paid off when he was selected to represent the national team in the prestigious 2018 Asia Cup. Malinga, known for his exceptional fast bowling abilities, was a valuable addition to the squad alongside Suranga Lakmal.

In the opening game of the series against Bangladesh, Malinga showcased his talent by taking two wickets in the very first over of the match. He continued to dominate the game, finishing with an impressive four wickets for just 23 runs. His remarkable performance was a testament to his skill and determination.

Malinga's success continued to soar as he faced England in the second ODI of the series on 13 October 2018. In this match, he achieved a remarkable feat by taking his 8th five-wicket haul. Four of these wickets were a result of his signature slow dipping yorkers, which have become his trademark throughout his career. Despite Sri Lanka's loss in the match by 31 runs according to the D/L method, Malinga's outstanding figures of five wickets for 44 runs showcased his exceptional talent.

During this match, Malinga also reached a significant milestone by completing 500 international wickets. This achievement further solidified his status as one of the greatest fast bowlers in the game.

Cricket Records

The sole bowler worldwide with two World Cup hat-tricks
The current record holder for most hat-tricks in international cricket
The pioneer bowler to achieve a double hat-trick
The unique bowler to secure 4 wickets in 4 balls twice in international cricket
The exclusive bowler with three hat-tricks in ODIs
The only bowler with two double hat-tricks
The first bowler to accomplish five hat-tricks in all formats of international cricket
The record holder for most hat-tricks in international cricket
The first bowler to reach 100 T20I wickets
The first bowler to reach 100 wickets across all three formats of international cricket (Tests, ODIs, and T20Is)
The first and, so far, only bowler with three hat-tricks in One-Day International cricket
He also boasts the best bowling figures in the men's edition of Australia's Big Bash T20 league, taking 6/7 for Melbourne Stars against Perth Scorchers.

Coaching

In February 2018, he was given the position of bowling mentor for the Mumbai Indians team, while Shane Bond served as the bowling coach during the 2018 IPL season. The Mumbai Indians franchise announced that Malinga would play a supportive role as a mentor and be part of the coaching staff for the upcoming 2018 IPL season. Prior to this decision, Malinga had been released from the Mumbai Indians team for the 2018 IPL auction due to his underwhelming bowling performances in the previous season.

In 2022, he assumed the role of fast bowling coach for the Rajasthan Royals. Additionally, he continued to serve as a coach for the MI Cape Town and MI New York franchises during the SA20 and ILT20 seasons in 2022.

Later on, in 2023, he was appointed as the bowling coach for the Mumbai Indians for the 2024 IPL season.

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