Xtra Time Web Desk: Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Thushara, who has a very similar bowling action to Lasith Malinga, was bought by Mumbai Indians for 4.8 crores after an intense bidding war with Royal Challengers Bangalore during the IPL Auction 2024 in Dubai. The bowling action video of Thushara is already going viral on social media. His unique action resembles Malinga who is back as the bowling coach for the five-time IPL Champions.
It was Kolkata Knight Riders who started the bidding to get Malinga for his base price of 50 lakhs. Royal Challengers Bangalore joined the bidding war with KKR. When it looked like RCB were set to secure the right-armer, Mumbai Indians (MI) popped up out of nowhere, went all in and secured the speedster’s services.
Here is the video of Nuwan Thushara’s bowling action:
Although people compare his bowling action with Malinga, Thushara himself is quite unhappy. According to him he used to bowl with a softball when a friend, who used to play competitive cricket took me to Colombo. There, he first played for Sinhalese Sports Club before moving on to Colombo Cricket Club. People say he copied Malinga but his action was how it has been since the start, as a boy.
Talking about Thushara, he has represented Sri Lanka five times in international cricket. He bowls at a decent click and can swing the ball both ways and exploit reverse-swing with the old ball. Like Pathirana, he is also someone that possesses a deadly yorker.
The 29-year-old has also played for Sri Lanka this year. Prior to the World Cup, he featured in one T20I against Afghanistan, in the Asian Games, and picked up a four-wicket haul (3-0-17-4). Thushara represented Jaffna Kings in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) this year. He picked 11 wickets at an economy rate of 8.15.
Thushara is still raw but has bags of potential. With Malinga back at MI as the franchise’s bowling coach, expect the Lankan legend to get the best out of this promising youngster.
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