End of ODI Journey
During the early 2019 South African series, led by Malinga, Sri Lanka faced a tough defeat. They were defeated 5-0 in the ODI series, marking the second time they suffered such a loss to South Africa on their turf. In the T20I series, Sri Lanka also faced a 3-0 defeat.
In the midst of the South African series, Malinga announced that the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup would mark his final ODI appearance, with the 2020 ICC T20 World Cup being his last international appearance for Sri Lanka. Despite this, he was selected for Sri Lanka's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. During the match against England on 21 June 2019, Malinga achieved his 50th wicket in World Cup matches, becoming the fastest player to reach this milestone in just 26 innings. Sri Lanka emerged victorious against England, with Malinga receiving the man of the match award for his exceptional bowling performance. He concluded the tournament as Sri Lanka's leading wicket-taker, with thirteen dismissals in seven matches, ranking as the third-highest wicket-taker of all time in World Cups.
Retirement from ODIs
On 26 July 2019, Malinga bid farewell to his ODI career at R Premadasa Stadium during the first ODI against Bangladesh, in front of a packed stadium adorned with banners expressing gratitude. In the match, he remained unbeaten with 6 runs. With the ball, he showcased his yorker skills by dismissing Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar. In his final over in ODIs, he claimed the wicket of Mustafizur Rahman, surpassing Anil Kumble to become the ninth-highest wicket-taker in ODIs, with a total of 338 dismissals.
After retiring from ODI cricket, Malinga took on the role of captain for the T20I series against New Zealand, leading a team of young cricketers. In the first match, he surpassed Shahid Afridi's wicket tally to become the highest wicket taker in Twenty20 Internationals. Despite taking two wickets, Sri Lanka lost the match. The second T20I saw Malinga go wicketless, conceding 39 runs as New Zealand emerged victorious and sealed the series. However, in the third T20I, Malinga's match-winning bowling spell helped Sri Lanka defend a modest total of 125 runs. By dismissing Colin Munro, he became the first cricketer to reach 100 wickets in T20Is and across all three formats of the game. Malinga also completed his fifth hat-trick, making him the only player with two T20I hat-tricks and five international hat-tricks. His exceptional performance, including a four-in-four feat, earned him the man of the match award as Sri Lanka won by 37 runs. Malinga later retired from all forms of cricket in September 2021, leaving behind a legacy as the leading wicket-taker in T20Is. He also ventured into cricket match analysis on YouTube, showcasing his expertise in Sinhala, Hindi, and English languages. Additionally, he was nominated for the ICC Men's ODI and T20I Cricketer of the Decade awards in November 2020.
Lasith Malinga, the legendary cricketer, bid farewell to T20 franchise cricket on 20 January 2021. Throughout his career, Malinga showcased his exceptional skills while playing for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Since joining the team in 2008, he became their leading bowler in the T20 format and the competition's highest wicket-taker. His contributions were highly regarded by former Mumbai Indians captain, Sachin Tendulkar, who considered Malinga an integral part of the team's strategy after the retirement of Shaun Pollock. In a remarkable display of talent, Malinga took an impressive 5 wickets in the first match of the fourth season against the Delhi Daredevils, limiting them to a mere 95 runs. One of his most memorable performances was during the Australian Big Bash League in December 2012, where he achieved extraordinary figures of 6/7 for the Melbourne Stars against the Perth Scorchers, marking the only six-wicket haul in the league's history. Malinga's impact extended beyond the IPL, as he also represented the Kent Spitfires in the English T20 competition in 2007, playing a crucial role in their tournament victory. His exceptional performances in various seasons earned him a place in the ESPNcricinfo IPL XI for 2010, 2011, and 2014. Additionally, he claimed the prestigious Purple Cap award for the most wickets in the fourth season of the IPL, taking an impressive 28 wickets in 16 matches. Malinga's leadership and skill were instrumental in guiding the Mumbai Indians to numerous victories throughout the tournament. Notably, he chose to represent the Mumbai Indians over the Southern Express in the CLT20 cricket tournament. In the 2011 Champions League Twenty20, Malinga emerged as the highest wicket-taker, earning him the golden wicket and the player of the tournament award. His contributions were not limited to bowling, as he also made significant contributions with the bat. Malinga's remarkable journey reached a milestone during the 2013 Indian Premier League when he claimed his 100th IPL wicket in a league stage match against the Kings XI Punjab, becoming the first bowler in IPL history to achieve this feat.
Sri Lanka clinched a thrilling Super Over victory against New Zealand in the Twenty20 World Cup on Sep 28, 2012. Tillakaratne Dilshan shone with a brilliant 76, but it was Lasith Malinga's exceptional bowling that sealed the win. New Zealand posted 174 for seven wickets, thanks to a strong start by Rob Nicol and Martin Guptill. In response, Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene's partnership of 80 runs set the stage for a nail-biting finish. With just one run needed off the last over, Sri Lanka managed to tie the score, leading to a Super Over. Sri Lanka scored 13 runs in the Super Over, with Malinga's tight bowling securing the victory.
Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of IPL, he earned a spot in the prestigious all-time ESPNcricinfo IPL XI. However, during the 2018 IPL Auctions, Mumbai Indians decided not to acquire Malinga due to his recent lackluster performance on the field. Nevertheless, on 7 February 2018, Malinga was appointed as the bowling mentor for Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2018. With an impressive record of 127 games played for Mumbai Indians in the IPL and Champions League T20, he holds the record for the highest number of wickets taken by the franchise, with an economy rate of 6.88. In 2019, Mumbai Indians once again bought Malinga in the player auction for the 2019 Indian Premier League. Despite initially ruling himself out of the first six IPL matches for Mumbai Indians in 2019, Malinga's availability was later secured after the BCCI requested Sri Lanka Cricket to make him available for as much of the tournament as possible. Malinga's return to the team proved to be a game-changer as he contributed to Mumbai Indians' fourth title win with a crucial wicket on the last ball of the final, securing a victory by just 1 run.
In 2019, he achieved something truly remarkable. Within a span of just 24 hours, he managed to pick up 10 wickets in two different formats across two nations. It was a feat that set him apart from the rest.Â
On April 3, 2019, he showcased his skills in an IPL match, representing the Mumbai Indians against the Chennai Super Kings. He bowled exceptionally well, taking 3 wickets for just 34 runs. The match went on till midnight, and he left a lasting impression with his performance.
But he didn't stop there. The very next day, he embarked on a journey to Kandy, Sri Lanka, to play in a domestic List A match. This time, he was the captain of the Galle team in the Sri Lanka Super Four Provincial Limited Over Tournament. And boy, did he make his mark!
In that match, he delivered his career-best bowling figures in List A cricket, capturing an incredible 7 wickets for just 49 runs. It was a phenomenal display of skill and determination. By the end of that day, he had recorded a total of 10 wickets for 83 runs in two different matches, in two separate nations.
His talent and dedication were undeniable, but sometimes personal reasons take precedence. In 2020, he made the difficult decision to withdraw from participating in the Indian Premier League. It was a tough call, but he had to prioritize his personal life. As a result, James Pattinson was named as his replacement for the season.
Even though he couldn't be a part of the IPL that year, his incredible achievements in 2019 will always be remembered. He proved that he was not just a talented cricketer, but also someone who could excel in different formats and on different stages.
In May 2018, he was chosen as one of the top ten players for the first season of the Global T20 Canada cricket competition. By June 3, 2018, he had been picked to represent the Montreal Tigers in the draft for the tournament's debut season. Throughout the event, he emerged as the top wicket-taker for the Montreal Tigers, claiming thirteen dismissals in just six matches.
In October 2020, he was selected by the Galle Gladiators for the first season of the Lanka Premier League. Despite this, he decided to withdraw from the 2020 Lanka Premier League due to a lack of match practice. His decision not to participate in the LPL drew criticism from fans, who accused him of lacking patriotism.