Stats: Lasith Malinga picks up 300 ODI wickets

The 4th ODI between Sri Lanka and India at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo was full of numbers. Where MS Dhoni played his 300th ODI, Lasith Malinga picked up his 300th ODI wicket. Before the start of the game, he had 299 wickets in his account and needed just one more to reach the magical number.

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The landmark was reached in the 30th over of India’s innings. Lasith Malinga was bowling to Virat Kohli and a wide delivery outside off was hit powerfully by the batsman over the ring. But Kohli perfectly found the fielder Dilshan Munaweera stationed at sweeper cover who took the catch safely.

Kohli’s departure meant that Malinga had achieved 300 ODI wickets. In the modern era, there couldn’t have been a better wicket than Virat Kohli to pick for the special record. The bowler was elated and had his hands raised in the air for a while as the teammates ran in to congratulate him.

Malinga, the stand-in skipper was later congratulated by Rohit Sharma as well. The two were seen hugging each other in the middle as their friendship goes back a long way. They are teammates for the Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians where Rohit is the captain. They have spent a lot of time together and are very close. Another Mumbai Indians’ teammate Hardik Pandya also wished the pacer on his achievement.

Malinga became the 4th bowler from Sri Lanka to pick up 300 ODI wickets. Only Muttiah Muralitharan (523), Chaminda Vaas (399) and Sanath Jayasuriya (320) have more wickets than the 34-year-old. Although Malinga’s achievement ended up in a losing cause yet he will take heart from the fact that he was able to reach the landmark.

Leading wicket-takers for Sri Lanka in ODI cricket