Things weren’t looking too rosy for Sunrisers Hyderabad four games into IPL 2026. It had lost three of its first four matches, and its pace bowling stocks were looking rather depleted with Pat Cummins missing, and Jack Edwards, Brydon Carse, and David Payne (himself Edwards’ replacement) all ruled out with injuries.
Seven games later, the picture looks a lot rosier. The Orange Army won six out of those seven matches, and with Cummins now back, it is well placed to secure a playoff spot.
Most of the headlines have gone to its belligerent batting featuring the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Travis Head, and Heinrich Klaasen, but SRH’s resurgence has been also powered by the quiet consistency of its Sri Lankan middle-overs expert Eshan Malinga.
Malinga joined the franchise in the 2025 mega-auction for Rs. 1.20 crore, and impressed in his limited outings, taking 13 wickets in seven matches.
He has improved upon that this year despite coming into the tournament after missing the T20 World Cup through injury. He has established himself as a regular face at the business end of the Purple Cap standings, and is the side’s leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets in 12 innings at an average of 25.50 and economy rate of 9.63.
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While Malinga may not have been a confirmed starter in many a viewer’s SRH playing XII ahead of the season, one person who has not been surprised by his success is M. Senthilnathan, head coach at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, where Malinga trained in 2024 as part of an exchange programme with the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
“Technically, he doesn’t have too many flaws,” Senthilnathan told Sportstar about his former charge. “The basic thing is that he’s able to mix his slower bouncers, variations, and yorkers, with control, and that is why he’s playing all the games for SRH.”
“He looks confident as well,” he further added. “If you see him whenever he gets the ball, he is eager to do his best even if the chips are down. Still he doesn’t show anything on his face, he’s ready to do something for the team. So this is a very good quality.”
“And when he was here, he was also the same. He was a very keen learner and his work ethic was brilliant.”
Malinga’s success stands out in comparison to other pace bowlers with a similar wicket tally particularly because he does not use the new ball. The 25-year-old has not had first use of the new ball in this tournament, and just four of his 16 wickets have come in the PowerPlay.
Senthilnathan says that his success can be attributed to his length. “At the end of the day, a good length ball is a good length ball in any format, and he is able to hit that most of the time,” he says. “Sometimes batters connect it, but it is always a wicket-taking ball at the right line and length.”
Eshan Malinga has established himself as the side’s leading wicket-taker, with 16 wickets in 12 innings at an average of 25.50 and an economy rate of 9.63. | Photo Credit: SPORTSTAR
Eshan Malinga has established himself as the side’s leading wicket-taker, with 16 wickets in 12 innings at an average of 25.50 and an economy rate of 9.63. | Photo Credit: SPORTSTAR
“He’s also able to mix it with good slower bouncers and yorkers,” he further explained. “Those kinds of deliveries are all wicket-taking, and most difficult for the batters to put away as well.”
Another particularly impressive aspect of Malinga’s performances has been his ability to generate reverse-swing with the older ball, a tool that has made him especially effective with the older ball.
“For reverse-swing, the first thing you need is pace,” Senthilnathan said. “You need a speed 135-145kmph to reverse the ball, and your length has to be up there for the ball to move.”
“For him, it’s all down to his basic length. If you see him, batters think they can hit because the length is there. But it’s difficult, and when he comes in later part of the over, he gets a little closer like a yorker where it reverses.”
Malinga himself said that his slightly slingy action has a lot to do with his ability to generate reverse-swing. “I don’t have to make too many changes to my bowling to get reverse, it comes from my action and pace,” he told broadcasters earlier in the season. “So when the ball is reversing, I just have to focus on executing.”
But for all of Malinga’s skill, his mental strength and calmness has been equally impressive bowling in Hyderabad, where bowlers have regularly disappeared out of the park.
“He is a very cool character all the time, very soft-spoken. You won’t see him fight on the field, or see big emotions coming out of him,” his former coach said. “He has a very nice composed head. He doesn’t go after success too much. He really gets, you know, highly motivated or shows emotion when he takes a good catch in the field, but otherwise, you don’t see him show too much.”
With SRH having put itself in a strong position to qualify for the playoffs now, it will be hopeful that Malinga can carry his strong form forward into the business end of the tournament, and make further telling contributions.
( Statistics updated until May 14)
Published on May 15, 2026