Reports | Lasith Malinga set to miss initial games of IPL 2020 due to personal reasons

Sri Lanka’s veteran bowler and a game-changer in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, Lasith Malinga is set to miss the first few games for the franchise, owing to personal reasons. Earlier, the pacer was set to miss the initial phase of the tournament due to the Sri Lanka Premier League but the series was postponed to a later date. 

According to reports from ESPNCricinfo, the pacer’s father has been ill and might require surgery in the coming weeks. The pacer will spend time with his family, alongside practising, before heading to the Middle East to represent his franchise. Last year, the pacer was in the middle of things as he helped the franchise get to their fourth IPL title with a scintillating last-over finish. He’s played 122 games in the IPL, picking 170 wickets, at an average of 7.14. 

The bowler will turn 37 later this month, and his last professional appearance came against the West Indies in a T20I in Pallekelle. Since then, however, he has not been involved in the Sri Lankan setup. Alongside that, he also was not part of the residential conditioning camps Sri Lanka Cricket organised in June and July.