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Updated July 26th, 2019 at 14:42 IST

Lasith Malinga's ODI retirement: Mahela Jayawardene's 'From 18-year-old in Galla nets to the champion...' post is a must-read

Veteran Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga will retire from One-Day internationals after the island nation's first match against Bangladesh on 26 July. The 35-year-old speedster has played 225 ODIs, picking 335 wickets at an average of 29.02. 

Reported by: Koushik Narayanan
| Image:self
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Veteran Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga will retire from One-Day internationals after the island nation's first match against Bangladesh on 26 July. The 35-year-old speedster has played 225 ODIs, picking 335 wickets at an average of 29.02. 

Malinga was named in the 22-man squad for Bangladesh's tour of Sri Lanka. He is the third-highest wicket-taker in the limited-overs format for Sri Lanka after Muttiah Muralidharan (523) and Chaminda Vaas (399). 

READ | ICC Approves PCB-run Biomechanics Lab In Pakistan's Lahore, Here's What Will Happen There

The Mahela-Malinga bonhomie:

Former Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene took to social media to bid farewell to the speedster by sharing a picture of Malinga and himself during the earlier days when they played for the Sri Lankan side. He said that from the time he played against Malinga as an 18-year-old net bowler to the latter walking off the pitch for one last time, Malinga was truly a champion and was a good friend who made Sri Lanka very proud. The former skipper wished Malinga the best for his future and asked him to enjoy every moment. 

Here's the picture posted by Jayawardene on Instagram:

A Fiery Career:

The veteran pacer is widely known for his brutal pace attack along with the deadly swings and toe-crushers that leaves batsman lurching on their crease, with the ball often going on to crash on to the stumps. Malinga is distinctly remembered for his four-wicket haul in four balls against South Africa in 2007 that saw Sri Lanka make a comeback from the verge of losing to win the match. 

The right-arm pacer had retired from the Test format in 2011 following which he made himself available for just the limited-overs format. Malinga was also the highest wicket-taker for the island side in the 2019 World Cup with 13 scalps from seven games.

READ | Lasith Malinga "very Happy" To Make Way For Younger Sri Lankans As He Calls Time On 15-year-long ODI Career

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Published July 26th, 2019 at 13:28 IST

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