Malinga cleared to play IPL 2019

Lasith Malinga has been cleared to play the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season after Sri Lanka Cricket granted the paceman permission to skip the domestic 50-overs tournament on Tuesday.

Selectors had earlier made it mandatory for Sri Lanka players to participate in the Super Provincial One-Day Tournament if they want to be considered for the May 30-July 14 Cricket World Cup in England and Wales. However the selectors have changed their stance since then.

“The management decided to release Malinga from participating in the Super Provincial One Day Tournament; since he would get an opportunity to play with much stronger opposition in the IPL tournament; which consist of international players,” a board release stated. The decision comes following substantial pressure from Indian Cricket Board to release Malinga for major part of the tournament.

Malinga, who has taken the most wickets (154 in 110 matches) since the first edition of the IPL in 2008, was bought by the Mumbai Indians for 20 million Indian rupees in the January auction.

He had worked as a bowling mentor with the same franchise after going unsold in 2018 auctions.