Lasith Malinga is a former Sri Lankan fast bowler. He was a right-arm pacer famous for his unique sling action, which gave him the nickname “Slinga Malinga.” He captained Sri Lanka to win the 2014 T20 World Cup and retired from all cricket on 14 September 2021.
Malinga is the only bowler with two World Cup hat-tricks. He was the first to take a double hat-trick. He took 4 wickets in 4 balls twice in international cricket. He is also the only bowler with three ODI hat-tricks and the only one with two double hat-tricks. He became the first bowler to take five hat-tricks across all international formats and holds the record for most hat-tricks in international cricket.
Lasith Malinga Records and Achievements
Lasith Malinga made his international debut in 2004 and took 6 wickets in a tour match in Australia. He became one of the fastest bowlers to reach 100 wickets for Sri Lanka.
He made history in the 2007 Cricket World Cup by becoming the first and only bowler to take four wickets in four balls in ODIs. He also took multiple hat-tricks, including against Kenya and Australia. He helped Sri Lanka win the 2014 ICC T20 World Cup with a match-winning spell in the final.
In the IPL, he was a key player for Mumbai Indians and became the all-time leading wicket-taker with 170 wickets during his career. He also bowled the winning last ball in the 2019 IPL final. After retiring, he became the bowling coach of Mumbai Indians in 2024.
Lasith Malinga Career Stats
In Tests, Malinga played 30 matches and took 101 wickets, with his best bowling being 5 wickets for 50 runs. He picked up 4 wickets in an innings seven times and took five wickets in an innings three times. With the bat, he scored 275 runs, including one half-century.
In ODIs, he played 226 matches and took 338 wickets. His best performance was 6 for 38. He took four wickets in an innings 11 times and five wickets eight times. As a batter, he scored 567 runs with one fifty.
In T20 Internationals, he played 84 matches and took 107 wickets. His best bowling was 5 for 6. He had one four-wicket haul and two five-wicket hauls. With the bat, he scored 136 runs.
| Bowling | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Wkts | BBI | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| Tests | 30 | 101 | 5/50 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| ODIs | 226 | 338 | 6/38 | 11 | 8 | 0 |
| T20Is | 84 | 107 | 5/6 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Batting | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Runs | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s |
| Tests | 30 | 275 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 6 |
| ODIs | 226 | 567 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 21 |
| T20Is | 84 | 136 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 5 |
Lasith Malinga Personal Life
Lasith Malinga grew up in a small coastal town called Rathgama in Sri Lanka. His childhood home was simple, with no gate or nameplate, surrounded by trees and plants. His mother, Swarna, lived a quiet life, stitching clothes and taking care of the garden. She wanted Malinga to have a stable job like working in a bank, just like her.
As a kid, Malinga was playful and often avoided homework by hiding in the garden. Even though he did well in studies, especially maths, his real interest slowly became cricket. When he joined Mahinda College, he secretly started playing cricket without telling his mother. He would come home late and make excuses, but she later found out when she saw him playing and even spotted his photo in a newspaper.
At first, his mother wasn’t sure about cricket as a career because no one from their village had ever become a cricketer. But when he started performing well and taking wickets, her thinking slowly changed. Even after becoming famous, his connection with home became less frequent. His mother sometimes wished he had chosen a simple job nearby so she could see him every day.
Lasith Malinga Contract
Lasith Malinga was given a short-term coaching role by Sri Lanka Cricket ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. He was appointed as the pace bowling consultant to help the national team prepare for the tournament.
His contract lasted for about one month, starting from December 15 and ending on January 25. During this time, he worked closely with Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers who were part of the World Cup plans.
FAQs
Q. Why was Lasith Malinga called “Slinga Malinga”?
A. Lasith Malinga got the nickname because of his unique round-arm bowling action.
Q. What special record does Lasith Malinga hold in international cricket?
A. Lasith Malinga is the only bowler to take 4 wickets in 4 balls twice in international cricket.
Q. When did Lasith Malinga retire from all forms of cricket?
A. Lasith Malinga retired from all formats on 14 September 2021.
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