IPL 2020: Mumbai Indians' Lasith Malinga likely to miss first part of IPL in UAE

Bengaluru, August 21: Veteran pacer Lasith Malinga is likely to miss the initial part of the IPL 2020 as he will be staying in Sri Lanka because his father is reportedly ill and may need surgery in the coming days.

Malinga is contracted with the Mumbai Indians and was expected to travel with the team to UAE, the venue for IPL 2020 from September 19. But now his travel will be decided as per the medical diagnosis of his father.

Malinga's decision to stay back, as reported by ESPNCricinfo, in Sri Lanka might also have been influenced by the fact that anyone entering Colombo will have to undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine as per the government Covid 19 protocol.

It would have been difficult for Malinga to travel to UAE with the Mumbai Indians and then return to Sri Lanka if it is necessary to attend to his father. The return to UAE too would have warranted another six days of quarantine.

Malinga is one of the most experienced pacers in the circuit now, and will 37 on August 28. Malinga is the highest wicket-taker in T20Is with 107 scalps from 84 matches and among active bowlers only Shakib al Hassan (92 wickets from 76 matches) and Rashid Khan (89 wickets from 48 matches) are close to him.

Malinga is also the highest wicket-taker in the IPL. Malinga has 170 wickets to his credit followed by Amit Mishra (157) and Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla, both have 150 wickets. Dwayne Bravo, one-time team-mate of Malinga at Mumbai Indians, is fifth with 147 wickets.