Eshan Malinga making waves at IPL

By Lithira Ekanayaka

Sri Lankan pacer Eshan Malinga is now among the top contenders for the highest wicket-taker of the IPL tournament with 12 wickets so far. 
In his last match against Delhi Capitals, Malinga delivered an impressive performance, grabbing four wickets for 32 runs in his four overs. Notably, three of those overs came in the last 10 overs of the match.
Having been put in to bat first, Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a massive 242 on the board, owing to a brilliant 135 by opener Abhishek Sharma that came off 68 balls and included 10 fours and 10 sixes, at an incredible strike rate of 198.
His master class was complemented by a late-innings cameo from Heinrich Klaasen, who scored 37 off 13 balls, with three fours and three sixes.
Delhi Capitals’ bowling unit had a rough day, with captain Axar Patel claiming the only wicket. Their go-to bowler, Lungi Ngidi, ended wicketless, conceding 41 runs in his four overs. Mukesh Kumar and Nitish Rana were taken to the cleaners, conceding 53 and 55 runs respectively.
Despite a promising partnership between KL Rahul and Nitish Rana, Delhi Capitals failed to keep up with the required run rate, losing wickets at regular intervals. 
Rana scored 57 off 30 balls, including seven fours and three sixes, while Rahul made 37 off 23, with one four and three sixes. Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka failed to continue his good form, departing for just eight off six balls. Sameer Rizvi, who has been a saviour for DC in several matches this season, looked threatening before being dismissed for 41 off 28 balls.
Malinga was the pick of the SRH bowlers, claiming the prized scalps of Nitish Rana, David Miller (bowled), Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma. He also narrowly missed out on a well-deserved hat-trick, having dismissed Rana and Miller in consecutive deliveries. 
Harsh Dubey is the second-highest wicket-taker for SRH, grabbing three wickets for 12 runs in his two overs. 
The other Sri Lankan pacer Dilshan Madushanka made his IPL debut alongside his fellow countryman and picked up one wicket for 36 runs in his four overs.
This match also marked a significant milestone for Sri Lankan cricket, as an IPL game featured three Sri Lankan players for the first time in nearly a decade and a half.
With their players performing well in the biggest franchise cricketing league, Sri Lankan fans will now be eagerly anticipating more standout performances from them.