Rajasthan Royals have appointed Lasith Malinga as the new pace bowling coach of the franchise heading into IPL 2022.
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Rajasthan Royals have appointed a legend in their backroom staff. After Kumar Sangakkara, Rajasthan Royals have appointed Lasith Malinga as the new fast-bowling coach of the side. Malinga is considered one of the greatest bowlers in the history of limited-overs cricket, especially in T20 cricket. The Sri Lanka pacer is the leading wicket-taker in the history of the IPL. The right-arm pacer has taken 170 wickets in 122 matches for Mumbai Indians.
If one looks at the overall T20 numbers for Lasith Malinga, it is staggering. In 295 T20 matches, Malinga has taken 390 wickets at an average of 19.68. Malinga will forever be remembered for his unbelievable yorkers at the death. His ability to ensure batsmen could not get on top of him made him a standout.
Speaking after his appointment in a statement from Rajasthan Royals, Malinga said, “It’s a wonderful feeling for me to return to the IPL. It is an absolute honor to join Rajasthan Royals. I am excited by the pace bowling unit we have going into the tournament. I look forward to supporting all the fast bowlers with the execution of their game plans and their overall development. I’ve made some very special memories in the IPL with Mumbai Indians. Now with Royals, I am looking forward to new experiences and creating great memories in this journey,” Malinga said.
Apart from Lasith Malinga, Rajasthan Royals have also appointed Paddy Upton as the new ‘Team Catalyst.’ This is not the first time that Upton has been associated with the Rajasthan Royals. From 2013-15, he was one of the key players in the backroom staff. Rajasthan Royals entered the top four in two out of the three years. He made a comeback in 2019 and helped them put on a good show.
Read More: Rajasthan Royals Squad Strength and Analysis
The likes of Sangakkara, Malinga, and Upton might just be the boost that Rajasthan Royals need after two years of near-bottom finishes. Speaking about the appointment of Lasith Malinga, Sangakkara heaped praise on Malinga. He the side will have immense benefit from his experience.
“We have some of the best fast bowlers in our squad. The side is delighted that they will have the chance to work with Lasith and get to learn and develop further,” Sangakkara said.
During the IPL 2022 Mega Auction, Rajasthan Royals made some smart buys and enhanced their bowling. They roped in Trent Boult, R Ashwin, Prasidh Krishna, and Yuzvendra Chahal. Ashwin and Jos Buttler will be in the same side after that infamous ‘Mankading’ Incident of 2019. They also acquired Rassie van der Dussen, James Neesham, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Obed McCoy, Shimron Hetmyer, and Devdutt Padikkal.
Rajasthan Royals will start their IPL 2022 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 29 at the MCA Stadium in Pune.
