Follow UsEshan Malinga makes his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 12 (Saturday) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. SRH skipper Pat Cummins announced at the toss that he would replace fellow Sri Lankan Kamindu Mendis in their playing 11 as the only change from their last game.
Malinga, like the famous Sri Lankan bowler with the same surname, Lasith, bowls right-arm fast. The only difference is that he doesn’t sling his arm and doesn’t bowl with the round-arm action, either.
So far, the 24-year-old has played in five ODIs, making his debut earlier this year against New Zealand. Other than the five ODIs, the islander has featured in 16 First-Class, 17 List-A and 16 T20s.
Having replaced Mendis, Hyderabad now have four pacers in Harshal Patel, Cummins, Malinga and Mohammed Shami.
Malinga was bought for INR 1.2 Cr after he came into the auction at a base price of INR 30 Lakh, having not made his international debut back then in November 2024.
The Ratnapura-born played in the SA20 2025 and Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024, before getting a stint in the IPL.