In Sachin-crazy Mumbai, Malinga has a fan following

At a time when Sachin Tendulkar is grabbing most of the spotlight for Mumbai Indians, it’s inevitable that other members will get eclipsed by his superlative performances. But even as they stretch their winning streak, there is in their midst an unsung hero in the form of Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga.

Whenever Mumbai Indians have found themselves struggling, Tendulkar has relied on Malinga. Be it his crucial economical spell of 4-0-22-2 against Rajasthan Royals in the opening game amidst the blitzkrieg of Yusuf Pathan’s 37-ball-hundred or his 4 for 22 against Kings XI Punjab, the Sri Lankan pacer has never let down his captain’s trust.

At a time when batsmen have the license to go for the kill, Malinga has enjoyed watching batsmen desperately try to score off him. TA Sekar, director of coaching for Mumbai Indians, said that the Sri Lankan is the side’s main strike bowler. “The whole world has seen what he can do. We use him very judiciously to get wickets whenever we want and he responds to the captain’s needs,” said TA Sekar, who rated Malinga’s spell of 4/22 as the best spell in the IPL. The bowler, who can send them down at consistent pace and has the ability to use slower ones during crunch time, has made life tough for batsmen. His perfect yorkers and slower ones have always seen players in two minds.