Lasith Malinga will retire after first ODI against Bangladesh, confirms Dimuth Karunaratne
Sri Lanka captain Dimuh Karunaratne confirmed on Monday that Lasith Malinga will play his last game for Sri Lanka on July 26 against Bangladesh in Colombo.
Karunaratne said in a press conference that Malinga will bring down the curtains on his ODI career after the first ODI of the three-match series against Bangladesh on Friday.
"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 said.
If Malinga indeed sticks to his plans, Malinga will end his career with 335 wickets -- the third-highest wicket-taker in 50-over cricket for the islanders. He is currently 10th in the list of overall wicket-takers but can overtake Anil Kumble, who has 337 wickets to his name.
Malinga also stands the chance to take 50 wickets at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo as he is just one wicket away from the milestone.
Malinga, 35, will walk away as one of the finest limited-overs cricketers for Sri Lanka. His unique action and yorkers have been a nightmare for batsmen since he made his international debut in 2004 against United Arab Emirates at Dambulla.
Despite battling several injuries, Malinga continued to be a crowd favourite and recently picked up 4/43 against England in the 2019 World Cup as Sri Lanka pulled off the upset of the tournament.
