Lasith Malinga is a Sri Lankan cricketer and TV personality. He is best known as one of the best limited-overs bowlers of all time and the international captain of Sri Lanka in T20 cricket. Lasith was also the captain of Sri Lanka’s cricket team when they won the 2014 T20 World Cup.
Born Name
Separamadu Lasith Malinga (Sinhala: සෙපරමාදු ලසිත් මාලිංග)
Nick Name
Slinga Malinga, Malinga the Slinga, Yorker King, Rathgama Express, Lanka Lion, Mali, Kagawena
Sun Sign
Virgo
Born Place
Galle, Sri Lanka
Nationality
Education
He attended Vidyathilake Vidyalaya in Thiranagama Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka, a primary school situated near his village.
In 1993, Lasith enrolled in Vidyaloka College in Galle, Sri Lanka. After he was discovered by a former paceman for Sri Lanka, Champaka Ramanayake, Lasith enrolled in Mahinda College in Galle, Sri Lanka, to play for their XI cricket team.
Occupation
Cricketer, TV Personality
Family
- Father – Separamadu Milton (Retired Bus Mechanic)
- Mother – Swarna Thenuwara
- Siblings – He has a brother.
Batting
Right-Handed
Bowling
Right-Arm Fast, Right-Arm Off-Break
Role
Bowler
Shirt Number
99 – Sri Lanka
Build
Athletic
Height
5 ft 8 in or 173 cm
Weight
75 kg or 165.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Lasith Malinga has dated –
- Tanya Perera (2010-Present) – He met an event manager, Tanya Perera, during an ad shoot. They exchanged numbers afterward and quickly fell in love. On February 22, 2010, the couple got married. They have a son and a daughter together.
Race / Ethnicity
Asian
Hair Color
Dark Brown
He often dyes his hair ends ‘blonde.’
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Long, curly haircut
- Unibrow
- Rugged, masculine looks
Brand Endorsements
Lasith Malinga has endorsed brands such as Livguard Batteries, Mobitel, and WNS Global Services.
Religion
Buddhism
Lasith Malinga Facts
- Growing up, he and his friends were obsessed with playing cricket.
- When he was younger, Lasith used to apply coconut oil to his hair and part it in the middle or comb it sideways. Later in life, he decided to dye his hair ends blonde and wear an earring.
- He is not into politics.
- Lasith always takes his parents on foreign tours with him.
- The action he became known for, authentic roundarm bowling, earned him the nickname “Slinga Malinga” but also brought up the question of legality. The rules of the cricket deem the action legal because his arm does not straighten from a bent position while he bowls.
- The experts concluded that his unique way of bowling was a result of Lasith learning to play cricket with a tennis ball as a kid.
- As of December 2019, he is the only bowler that managed to take 5 hat-tricks in the history of the game and also the only bowler in the world that took 2 World Cup hat-tricks.
- Sir Viv Richards, one of the best Antiguan Barbudan cricketers, stated that Lasith is the best thing to happen to Sri Lankan cricket after Aravinda de Silva, a well-known Sri Lankan batsman.
- Lasith picked up 4 wickets off 4 balls for Sri Lanka against South Africa at the 2007 World Cup. In September 2019, he became the 1st ever player to take 4 wickets in 4 balls twice in international cricket, after he managed to do so in a game against New Zealand.
- He was the only player in the history of the sport to take 3 hat-tricks in One-Day International cricket. He took the 3rd in August 2011.
- In late September 2019, fans of cricket spotted a 17-year-old cricketer Matheesha Pathirana from Trinity College Kandy. He took 6 wickets for 7 runs in his debut game for the college and was immediately nicknamed “New Slinga” or the “Next Slinga” on social media.
- As of December 2019, he has held the record for the most wickets in IPL (Indian Premier League) – 170.
- Lasith is the 3rd-highest wicket-taker in World Cups with 56 wickets.
- Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, also known as the “Bible of Cricket” named Lasith Malinga the “King of T20 Fast Bowling” in late December 2019.
- In 2019, during his 1st T20I match, he managed to become the highest wicket-taker in Twenty20 Internationals after he surpassed ‘s tally of 98.
Featured Image by NAPARAZZI / / CC BY-SA 2.0
Facts of Lasith Malinga
- full nameLasith Malinga
- Date of Birth August 28, 1983
- Age 41 years 0 months
- Horoscope Virgo
- Lucky Number 12
- Lucky Stone Sapphire
- Lucky Color Green
- Best Match for Marriage Taurus, Capricorn
- weight75 kg
- height5 ft 8 in