Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma on Thursday said Lasith Malinga’s presence will be missed around the squad as the pacer announced his retirement from franchise cricket on Wednesday.
Rohit posted a photo along with Malinga on Instagram with the caption the post: “One of the best the game has seen. Truly a match-winner, his presence around the squad will be missed @mumbaiindians.”
Special video
The franchise also came up with an emotional message for the bowler. It thanked him for the memorable moments he gave to the team, especially on the final ball of a championship match.
The five-time IPL champion paid tribute with a short video in which chants of MA-LIN-GA MA-LIN-GA could be heard, recreating the Wankhede experience.
“Malinga is staring down. He lifts his hand up and kisses the ball. Wankhede is echoing with MA-LIN-GA MA-LIN-GA as he picks up momentum in his run-up. He slings and bowls. The ball moves, dips, and finds the base of the stump through the batsman’s defence,” Mumbai Indians tweeted.
“You gave us 170 moments to celebrate. But the most memorable ones came on the final ball of the match. You smiled, you bowled, you won and for that, we say #ThankYouMalinga.”
