Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lankan pace bowler will not be seen playing for Mumbai Indians until the second half of the tournament due to injury.

Coach Ricky Ponting was quoted,

“

He’s not with the squad. He’s unlikely to take part in the first half of the tournament. If we want to name a replacement, we have to do so before the fifth game.

” 

The Sri Lankan was the catalyst in Mumbai’s campaign last season. With five losses in the first six games, the team was in deep trouble. It was Malinga’s spirited performance that helped Mumbai register a win and resurrect the campaign that eventually led to them winning IPL 8. 

A knee injury, however, saw him stay out of the game for three months last year. He made an attempt at returning to action ahead of the World T20 but the injury was severe and he couldn't participate in the tournament. Still, there were expectations that he would recover in time to play in the IPL from the beginning.

“He will join the squad sometime in the next few weeks and spend some time with the support staff. We will see how his fitness comes along, but it’s safe to say he won’t be part of the playing XI at least for the first few games,” Ponting said.

Click here for the entire schedule of IPL 9.