Lasith Malinga is returning to Mumbai Indians in the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, he is not returning as a cricketer but a pace bowling coach. The former Sri Lanka pacer is going to replace Shane Bond.

After retiring in 2021, Malinga was the bowling coach of Rajasthan Royals from 2022. Malinga is returning to his old destination after working there for two years. He was a mentor in Mumbai in 2018. Returning to the field again next year, Jasprit Bumrah also handled the bowling task. Bumrah and Malinga were instrumental in Mumbai's fourth IPL title.

Malinga has played IPL for Mumbai for a long time. He won four IPL titles as well. The 39-year-old pacer also won a Champions League T20 title in 2011. Malinga took 195 wickets in 139 matches for Mumbai with an economy rate of 7.12. His IPL wicket tally is 170, which is the sixth-highest in the league.

Shane Bond was the bowling coach of Mumbai for a long time. Bond has worked in this role for about 9 years, which he got in 2015. The former New Zealand pacer has worked closely with Mahela Jayawardene, who was Mumbai's head coach from 2017 to 2022, and team captain Rohit Sharma. Jayawardene is currently in charge of the Mumbai franchise's Head of Performance. The franchise also owns two teams in ILT20 and SA20. Bond is again the head coach of the ILT20 team MI Emirates. Whether he will be there is yet to be confirmed.