Stats: Lasith Malinga returns to International cricket with a 4-wicket haul in Asia Cup opener

Lasith Malinga made a comeback to the Sri Lankan limited-overs team after a gap of 12 months and announced his return in style. The man with the slinging action had two wickets in his first over of the Asia Cup against Bangladesh and broke the century partnership between Mushfiqur Rahim and Mohammad Mithun who were threatening to take the game away from them. The 35-year-old finished with bowling figures of 4/23 in his ten overs which included two maidens.

Stats and numbers that Lasith Malinga recorded on his comeback to International cricket:

1 – Lasith Malinga became the first bowler in the history of Asia Cup to bag multiple wickets in the first over of an innings. There were two such instances in the Asia Cup T20 during the 2016 edition but none were recorded before this game in the One-Day format of the tournament.

2 – Malinga is only the 2nd bowler to take 4-wicket hauls in consecutive matches in Asia Cup. The Sri Lankan bagged a 5-wicket haul in the 2014 final against Pakistan. Ajantha Mendis had back to back four-fers on two occasions. He took 4-fers against UAE and Bangladesh in 2008 and ended that edition with a six-fer against India in the final and followed it with a 4-fer against the Indians in 2014.

4 – Malinga has taken four four-wicket hauls in the history of Asia Cup thus far including two five-fers. All his three five-fers have come against Pakistan. Malinga is now the 2nd player after Ajantha Mendis to claim four four-wicket hauls in Asia Cup. The off-spinner had those four in just eight matches while Malinga played 13 matches thus far in Asia Cup.

17 – Malinga now has 17 four-wicket hauls in ODI cricket but his first in more than four years. His 17 four-fers are the most by any player since his debut in July 2004.

28 – Lasith Malinga has bagged 28 wickets in the history of Asia Cup this far. Only Muttiah Muralitharan (30) has taken more wickets than Malinga in the Asia Cup. The 4-wicket haul today helped him to surpass Ajantha Mendis’ tally of 26 wickets.

2003 – Malinga is the first Sri Lankan bowler to claim multiple wickets in the first over of an ODI since Chaminda Vaas in the 2003 World Cup game also against Bangladesh where the left-arm pacer bagged a hat-trick with the first three balls. Malinga had two wickets in the first over of Pakistan’s innings in the 2011 ODI also in Dubai but while bowling second.

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