It's been an honour playing alongside you” - Jasprit Bumrah pays heartfelt tribute to Lasith Malinga

A day after the Mumbai Indians (MI) officially announced Lasith Malinga’s retirement from franchise cricket, his MI bowling partner Jasprit Bumrah paid a glowing tribute to the senior pacer.

Taking to Twitter, Jasprit Bumrah posted two images of him with the Lasith Malinga, which perfectly captured the camaraderie between the bowlers during their time together at the Mumbai Indians.

Along with the images, Jasprit Bumrah wrote that it was an honour for him to play alongside the Sri Lankan legend. He also added that the IPL wouldn’t be the same without Lasith Malinga.

It’s been an honour playing alongside you and picking your brain all these years, Mali. Congratulations on a successful career, the IPL won’t be the same without you. @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/9XIPr13dtN

— Jasprit Bumrah (@Jaspritbumrah93) January 21, 2021

Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah have been crucial to the Mumbai Indians’ IPL fortunes over the last few years. Jasprit Bumrah has openly acknowledged Lasith Malinga’s role in his growth as a bowler. It is often claimed by cricket experts that the Team India pacer sharpened his yorker-delivering skills under the guidance of the veteran Lankan pacer.

Lasith Malinga ends his IPL career as the T20 league’s most successful bowler. In 122 matches, the fast bowler picked up 170 wickets at a strike rate of 16.62 and an economy rate of 7.14. Malinga also picked up six four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul.

As for Jasprit Bumrah, he has 109 wickets from 92 IPL matches at a strike rate of 19.19 and an economy rate of 7.41.

One of the best the game has seen: MI captain Rohit Sharma on Lasith Malinga

Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma also paid his tributes to his long-time teammate Lasith Malinga. In a post on his Instagram handle, the MI skipper described Lasith Malinga as a match-winner, who will be missed by the franchise.

Lasith Malinga was part of four IPL title triumphs with the Mumbai Indians in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019. However, the Sri Lankan pacer missed out on the team's 2020 title win as he pulled out of the tournament in the UAE, citing personal reasons.

On Wednesday, in a lengthy Instagram post, the Mumbai Indians revealed that Lasith Malinga has decided to retire from franchise cricket. MI informed fans that Lasith Malinga had conveyed the same to the management earlier this month.

The 37-year-old Sri Lankan pacer explained that the ongoing pandemic and the restrictions on travel would make it difficult for him to participate fully in franchise cricket for the next year. These circumstances led to Malinga deciding to retire from franchise cricket.