Sri Lankan pace bowling legend Lasith Malinga looks all set to bring curtains down on his 15-year long ODI career after the first game of the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh in Colombo on July 26. The news was confirmed by none other than the Sri Lankan skipper Dimuth Karunaratne in a press conference on July 22.
“He is going to play the first match. After that he is retiring. That’s what he said to me. I don’t know what he said for the selectors but for me he said he is playing only one match,” Karunaratne told.
Malinga has been a bowling idol for the youth as far as modern day limited-overs cricket is concerned. He drew everybody’s attention with his flamboyant hairstyle and slingy action ever since he stepped into the international scene in 2004. The 35-year-old has produced numerous mesmerizing and breathtaking spells over the years and, hence, will look to bow out on a high once again in his last ODI. Now, to celebrate his illustrious ODI career, let’s take a look at his various achievements in ODI cricket over the years.
- The fourth Sri Lankan to reach the milestone of 300 ODI wickets, after Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and Sanath Jayasuriya. Malinga achieved the feat in 203 matches and, thus, became the fifth quickest to the landmark.
- Malinga also became the quickest to reach 50 ODI wickets in World Cup history. He reached the landmark in 26 innings and thus overtook the likes of Glenn McGrath (30), Muttiah Muralitharan (30) and Wasim Akram (34). He also became the second Sri Lankan after Muralitharan to reach the milestone of 50 World Cup wickets.
- Malinga will also finish as the third highest wicket-taker in World Cup history. He took a total of 56 wickets in 28 innings at an excellent average of 22.87 and a strike-rate of 24.8. Only Muralitharan (68) and McGrath (71) have more wickets than him but they have played 11 innings more than him each.
- The 35-year-old is also the only bowler in the history of ODI cricket to take four wickets in four consecutive deliveries. He registered the feat vs South Africa in 2007.
- He is the first and the only bowler in ODI history till now to take three hat-tricks.
- Malinga is also the only bowler with two World Cup hat-tricks to his name. The first one came against South Africa in 2007 and the second one against Kenya in 2011.
- He also holds a major ODI batting record. His best score of 56 is the fourth highest score by a No 10 batsman in ODI cricket. It is also the highest score by a Sri Lankan No 10 in ODIs and the only fifty recorded by a Sri Lankan at that position.
- His partnership of 132 runs with Angelo Mathews during his knock of 56 runs against Australia in Melbourne in 2010 is also the highest 9th wicket stand in ODIs.
- Malinga is now the 10th highest wicket-taker in ODI history with a total of 335 wickets in 225 ODIs. He will have a chance to go up to the ninth position if he can take two or more wickets in his final ODI. Anil Kumble holds the ninth position at present with a tally of 337 wickets.