Man on a mission (Lasith Malinga)

Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who bowls with a slinging action, was in the form of his life and had become a scourge for batsmen world over when a mysterious knee injury that he picked up before the first edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), forced him to miss 10 months of cricket. Malinga was touted to be one of the pillars for Mumbai Indians in IPL-1, but instead the slinger was forced to sit on the sidelines, as he also missed out on playing international cricket for Sri Lanka.

There's a popular saying that goes "There is a rainbow at the end of every dark cloud", and so it was for Malinga who found a saver in the Sri Lankan president's doctor. Malinga admits that he isn't sure what the doctor did, but says the injury that troubled him for 10 months disappeared in just a few days! The mystery cure has seen Malinga make a return to competitive cricket at the ongoing second edition of the IPL in South Africa.

And, as he ran into bowl in the first match of IPL-2 against last year's runner-up Chennai Super Kings, it was quite evident that here's a man who is on a mission and is looking to make up for lost time. One would have expected that after such a lengthy lay-off, Malinga would take some time to find his groove and hit the correct line and length. However, Malinga was bang on target from the first ball he bowled, and he did make the batsmen's lives difficult in the middle, as he hit the perfect length time and time again. He also sneaked in a couple of slower balls and yorkers here and there to really make the opposition batsmen think a lot while facing up to him.

Malinga has been in sublime form in the two matches that Mumbai Indians have played so far (MI's match against Rajasthan Royals was abandoned), picking up 6 wickets at a miserly average of 5.66 and a terrific economy rate of 4.25. He has made the batsmen hop, skip and jump to his tunes, and at the rate that he is going, is not only one of the front-runners for the Purple Cap in the IPL, but has also ensured that his presence is noticed not only by his team but also by the opposition.

Malinga has definitely emerged as one of the top bowlers to look out for in the second edition of the IPL in South Africa, and he will play an important role in Mumbai Indians' success in the tournament. As for the opposition batsmen, they would be best advised to look out for those searing Malinga yorkers, because if they don't, they are likely to end up either with a bruised or broken toe!