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29 March 2024

Malinga credits IPL for Sri Lanka's World T20 triumph against India

Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka kisses the trophy after winning the Final of the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 between India and Sri Lanka at Sher-e-Bangla Mirpur Stadium on April 4, 2014 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (GETTY)

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By Cricket Correspondent

Lasith Malinga has attributed his experience in the IPL (Indian Premier League) as key to Sri Lanka's success in the World Twenty20 final against India on Sunday.

Sri Lanka won their maiden World T20 title with an emphatic six-wicket victory in Dhaka after favourites India put into bat were restricted to 130-4.

Spearheaded by Malinga, Sri Lanka gave away just 19 runs in the last four overs to throttle the strong Indian batting line-up.

An integral member of reigning IPL champions Mumbai Indians since the inception of the cash-rich T20 event, Malinga credited the IPL experience for helping him outfox India.

“I think it has been extremely valuable for me to have played in the IPL. It was only because I had played in the IPL that I could manage the bowlers properly against India and get a thorough understanding of how the (Indian) batsmen operated," he said at the post-match press conference when asked how they managed to restrict India to 60 runs in the last 10 overs.

Often criticised in the past as being ineffective against India because of his affiliation with IPL, Malinga silenced his critics with a vintage performance in the death overs against the likes of his tormentor Virat Kohli and even MS Dhoni.

He expressed his gratitude to IPL for "almost everything" he did right in the final against India. 

"All that knowledge I had, helped us immensely in this victory. It is through the IPL that I learnt almost everything that I know. It helped us beat India. I am extremely glad that I played in the IPL” said Malinga who was thrust into the leadership after regular captain Dinesh Chandimal served a one-match ban in the quarter-finals against New Zealand.

In a separate interview with BBC's Sinhala Service Sandeshaya, Malinga said Sri Lanka produced captains like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene because previously there had good captains like Arjuna Ranatunga, Hashan Tillakaratne and Sanath Jayasuriya.

"When I was handed the captaincy after Chandimal, I decided to get the help of past captains. I think I did it successfully. That is why after 1996 we managed to win a World Cup under my captaincy," said Malinga.

He also hoped that he has changed the belief that fast bowlers can't be good captains.

"If they can pick wickets, they can do anything," added Malinga.