Lasith Malinga Ruled Out of 2016 Indian Premier League Due to Knee Injury
Lasith Malinga has been ruled out of the 2016 Indian Premier League due to a knee injury. Mumbai Indians have not named a replacement for him.
Highlights
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Malinga ruled out for Mumbai Indians in 2016 IPL due to knee injury.
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Malinga also missed the World T20 due to injury.
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Malinga had stepped down as captain of Sri Lanka before World T20.
Mumbai Indians suffered a big blow as their pace spearhead, Lasith Malinga, has been ruled out of the 2016 Indian Premier League due to a knee injury. (IPL: Lasith Malinga Joins Mumbai Indians Without SLC Permission)
Malinga, who is the leading wicket-taker in the Indian Premier League, had also missed the recent World Twenty20 in India due to the injury.
Malinga is also expected to miss Sri Lanka's upcoming tour of England, as well as the Caribbean Premier League because of the injury to his left knee.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) medical staff will now assess Malinga's injury and decide whether he needs a surgery or not.
"Malinga will present himself before the SLC panel of expert doctors on Wednesday (April 20) and depending on the outcome of the said medical examinations, be required to face a match fitness grading, after which SLC will take the next appropriate steps," the Cricket Board (SLC) said in a release.
The Sri Lankan Board had not given him permission to play in the IPL but the speedster defied the board's dictate by reportedly joining the Mumbai Indians squad on Friday and also taking part in the team's training session.
Malinga and the new SLC hierarchy have been at a standoff since the Asia Cup T20 in February.
Before the World Twenty20, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board had asked Malinga to step down as the captain of the team before the World T20 last month in obvious annoyance.
Although Malinga made it to Sri Lanka World T20 squad as a player, he opted out of the crucial tournament, citing fitness issues.
As a result, Sri Lanka were forced to play the tournament without their main bowler, which turned out to be one of the main reasons for the defending champions' ouster from the World T20 in the first round itself.
The SLC selection committee chairman Aravinda de Silva had said that he doubted Malinga's fitness claims and also insisted that his fitness would be proved when he would take part in the ninth edition of the IPL.
(With inputs from PTI)