Lasith Malinga and Asela Gunaratne to miss the opening game for Mumbai Indians

Injuries seem to be the order of the day as the 10th edition of Indian Premier League has already been marred by injuries to some top notch players. With some big names already missing out, reports emerged that Lasith Malinga and Asela Gunaratne who was bought by the Mumbai Indians franchise for a base price of Rs. 30 lakhs in the 2017 auction will miss out for the initial few games of the tournament.

Sri Lanka will play Bangladesh in a two-match T20 series on 4th and 6th April respectively while Mumbai Indians also begin their IPL campaign on 6th April. Meanwhile, captain Rohit Sharma joined the squad and has been declared fit to play from the opening game of the tournament. His return will definitely keep the two-time champions in good stead ahead of the event.

The two-time IPL champions will definitely miss the services of their star fast bowler Malinga who has been with the outfit since 2009. He has been a lethal limited overs bowler and his stupendous record in the shortest format is just a sheer proof of his credentials. He has been a leading bowler for Mumbai and will definitely look to take them to their 3rd title win in the upcoming edition.

Slinga Malinga is the leading wicket-taker in the history of the tournament. With 143 scalps from 98 matches, he remains the greatest bowler in the tournament. He also a staggering average to boast of bagging wickets at an average of 17.8/wicket. The star fast bowler also missed the 2016 edition due to a knee injury which forced him to sit out for a whole year.

Gunaratne on the hand was purchased by the franchise after consulting with Mahela Jayawardene. Given the hitting capabilities Gunaratne possess, it might be a big buy for Mumbai although there were no competitors and he was bought at his base price.