Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga ponders international retirement after T20 World Cup

Sri Lanka's limited-overs skipper Lasith Malinga has said that he is looking forward to play in the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup in 2020 before bidding adieu to his international career. 

The 35-year-old's announcement came after his side slumped to a 16-run defeat at the hands of South Africa in the second T20I in Centurion to go down in the three-match series by 0-2. 

“After the World Cup, my cricketing career is ending.I want to play in the T20 World Cup and then end my career," the ICC quoted Malinga as saying. 

Malinga has bagged a total of 322 wickets from 218 ODIs he has played at a strike rate of 32.63 while he also has 97 wickets to his tally from 72 appearances he made in the shortest format of the game. 

The veteran Sri Lankan pacer's most memorable moment came when he claimed four wickets off as many balls during his side's clash against South Africa in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2007. He is now just one wicket short of becoming the leading wicket-taker in the T20I format. 

Though there is no confirmation from the national selectors regarding Malinga's selection as Sri Lanka skipper for the T20 World Cup, the experienced pacer is keen to put his absolute best to push his case for selection in the mega event in 2020. 

Malinga., who is set to play for Team Mumbai in the upcoming 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), will miss the first six matches of the cash-rich T20 event in order to appear in  Sri Lanka's domestic Super Provincial One Day tournament.

Team Mumbai will kickstart their 2019 IPL campaign against Team Delhi on March 24 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.