Just 12 hours after helping Mumbai Indians beat defending Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Chennai Super Kings, Lasith Malinga was picking up a seven-wicket haul for Galle in the Super Four Provincial One-Day Tournament in Sri Lanka which began on Thursday.
Malinga had returned with figures of 3-34 on Wednesday at the Wankhede stadium to lead Mumbai’s charge to a 37-run win over Chennai before making the overnight trip back to Sri Lanka to join up with the Galle squad.
Captaining Galle on Thursday against Kandy, the veteran pacer finished with figures of 7-49 to lead his side to a commanding 156-run win in the domestic tournament opener.
Playing across two countries in as many days and picking up 10 wickets speaks volumes of Malinga’s commitment to both the IPL and the Sri Lankan national team.
#SriLanka and @mipaltan ace Lasith Malinga soldiers on without much sleep 😴 #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/4gziiO7f3x
— Sport360° (@Sport360) April 4, 2019
The 35-year-old had initially been granted permission by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to skip the entire Super Four tournament in favour of playing in the IPL.
However, considering that the domestic tournament will have a bearing on Sri Lanka’s World Cup selections and captaincy candidature, Malinga has decided to make himself available for Galle.
The Super Four Provincial tournament will run until April 11 meaning Malinga could miss Mumbai’s next two IPL fixtures should Galle make the final.
