Eshan Malinga comes from Ratnapura, where people dig for gems deep in the earth & somehow that feels appropriate. He grew up in a province where cricket infrastructure is something you read about in magazines, not something you actually touch & still he made the ball move at 141 kph before he was old enough to vote.
The Ranmini Battle of 2019 was his first explosion. 11 wickets in the match & a nickname that stuck: the Opanayake Express.
But velocity has a price. That same year, pushing through a national speed trial, he wrecked his back. Kind of injury that usually ends stories early. He disappeared into rehabilitation, swimming pools, invisible hours that nobody applauds.
He emerged in 2022 with debuts across all three formats for Ragama & by early 2025 was in New Zealand wearing Sri Lanka colours. Sunrisers Hyderabad paid 4 times his base price at the IPL auction.
2025 season brought 13 wickets in 7 games. Then in 2026, something shifted. With Mohammed Shami gone & Pat Cummins injured, Malinga became the unexpected leader of a young bowling unit. He has taken 12 wickets so far, but more crucially, he has taken them when it matters.
Against Delhi, he claimed 4 for 32. Against Chennai, 3 for 29 in a tight chase. Against Rajasthan, 2 for 31 & against KKR, 2 for 14.
SRH sit third on the points table right now despite losing every single toss, despite bowling second in every match, despite having no senior bowler to lean on. Malinga is the reason that young attack has held together.
The shoulder injury in early 2026 ruled him out of the T20 World Cup, cruel timing for an express bowler whose body keeps asking questions. But he has already shown he knows how to rebuild.
From Ratnapura to leading an IPL attack is not a journey you complete by accident. It requires the same patience his neighbors use when digging for sapphires, knowing the value is there if you simply refuse to stop looking.
@lordstanley2019@mattrife Proud of that dude who lost both his legs enjoying the show, sad that he lost both his legs for some clown in Israel who influenced GW bush to send his civilians to die on the pretext of a fabricated propaganda of dismantling weapons of mass destruction ๐ that they never found
@AbdullahAlaksha Where is the fire extinguisher??? You will not pass your vehicle in the uae if you donโt have your first aid kit, hazard light triangle and Fire extinguisherโฆ but this looks like itโs in saud
@leisureplus This is what happens when you take cues from Godi Media of India, looks super cringe, you can dress up a clown with a TOM FORD suit, but you can not stop him from running his mouth!
@ShaykhSulaiman Sorry bro, I just came back to the UAE ๐คฃ the flight was full, now all the flights are on schedule, even if there is anything, the flights only get delayed, UAE is here to stay!
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.
It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC.
May God bless America.
๐๐คฒ What a beautiful example of respect & friendship! Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya continues his heartwarming tradition, fasting alongside his Muslim friends during Ramadan, a practice heโs followed since his school days.
In a world that needs more unity, SJ shows how simple gestures build bridges across faiths. Respect forever.๐ฑ๐ฐ
@ShaykhSulaiman Bruhโฆ this is not chaos, this is the usual traffic, many people drove through this on a daily basis, people go to Oman for leisure, eid holidays etc etc, you are just blowing it out of proportion man, pipe down
@ShaykhSulaiman Bro why are you so desperate about UAE! We are fine absolutely, donโt get your hopes up! UAE has done a better job in defending than any other countries including Israel