Legendary bowler and Mumbai Indians bowling coach Lasith Malinga opened up on the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya for the upcoming 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League. Malings expressed his happiness and claimed that Bumrah and Hardik’s presence brings a lot of experience to the table.
For the unversed, Jasprit Bumrah missed IPL 2023 because of an injury, while on the other hand, Hardik Pandya represented Gujarat Titans in the last two seasons of IPL. However, ahead of IPL 2024, Mumbai Indians left everyone shocked as they traded Hardik Pandya from Mumbai Indians and made him the captain of their side as well. This move ended the captaincy tenure of Rohit Sharma, who took Mumbai Indians to tremendous heights.
Malinga Expressed Happiness On The Return Of Jasprit Bumrah And Hardik Pandya
Speaking to reporters after the MI junior tournament, Lasith Malinga highlighted the value of experience in the team. He claimed that the presence of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya will be highly beneficial to the team. He said:
“Experience, we can’t buy that. They are in top form as well. Bumrah has been playing Test cricket over the last few months and has performed really well. Plus, they have the knowledge and experience of T20 cricket. How they handle things, they can share with all the youngsters in our team. This is the best thing to have happened in MI,”
Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya’s return to Mumbai Indians for IPL 2024 brings valuable experience to the team. Bumrah played a crucial role in five IPL victories, while Hardik contributed to four triumphs and had success with Gujarat Titans. Bumrah boasts 145 wickets in 120 matches, while Hardik has scored 2309 runs and taken 53 wickets in 123 matches.
Further, Lasith Malinga emphasized that the bowlers are the true game-changers in the shortest format of the game. He highlighted the importance of having skilled bowlers like Bumrah and Akash Madhwal in the side. He said:
“Most people think T20 is the batters’ game, but I still feel bowlers win matches. That’s why we (MI) want big-hearted bowlers. Like Boom (Bumrah) and Aksah Madhwal, for example. These are two good Indian bowlers who have experience of playing (for MI). MI always believes in having a proper fast-bowling unit. And I feel we have got that this time,” said Malinga.
“He is good and has a lot of potential. Confidence-wise he is really strong. He knows exactly what to do. We just have to keep talking to him. I want to know what he is from the inside. I like to share my experiences with him, and try and get from him his thought process about things,”
The team led by Hardik Pandya will kick off their campaign against the Gujarat Titans in the opening match of the tournament at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 24th.
