WATCH: Mumbai Indians' Nuwan Thushara unleashes deadly yorkers, emulating Lasith Malinga's action

The IPL auction for the upcoming 2024 took place in Dubai on Tuesday, December 19 with 333 players went under the hammer to decide their fate. IPL is known for giving opportunity and stage to young talents who can prosper in future as mega star. Similarly, in this year’s auction also, there were certain big names like Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Daryl Micthell who went for eye catching deals but at the same time there were also unknown young talents like Shubham Dubey, Sameer Rizvi who caught eyes with intriguing deals.

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Similarly, another such interesting talent who bagged handsome amount was the Sri Lankan speedster Nuwan Thushara. Mumbai Indians secured the services of Thushara for 4.8 crores after engaging in a fierce bidding war with Royal Challengers Bangalore during the IPL Auction 2024 on December 19. Thushara, whose bowling action closely resembles that of Lasith Malinga, boasts a T20I career with five matches for Sri Lanka, where he has taken eight wickets at an average of 17.67.

Sri Lankan right-arm slinger Nuwan Thushara, known for his bowling action similar to Lasith Malinga, triggered a bidding war in the IPL Auction 2024. The auction began with Kolkata Knight Riders, followed by Royal Challengers Bangalore, with the competition escalating until it reached the one crore mark. Eventually, Mumbai Indians joined the bidding, and the intense contest concluded with MI securing Thushara for Rs. 4.8 crore.

Mumbai Indians then joined, propelling the bidding beyond two crores. The relentless contest concluded with MI securing Thushara for Rs. 4.8 crore. Thushara, known for his unique action, will now join Malinga, MI's bowling coach. Despite similarities, he clarified not emulating Malinga's technique.

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Let us look at a video compilation of this new bowling sensation;

Nuwan Thushara will be playing for Mumbai Indians.

- Malinga version in MI. pic.twitter.com/xtQdyijyds

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 19, 2023

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MI denies rumors on Rohit Sharma's trade after Hardik captaincy announcement

Last Friday, MI captured global cricket's spotlight by officially declaring Hardik Pandya, who was acquired through a trade with Gujarat Titans last month, as their new captain. This marked the conclusion of Rohit Sharma's 10-year leadership tenure. Following cryptic posts from Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah on the day of the Hardik announcement, speculations arose about a potential rift within the Mumbai Indians team and the possibility of trading these players.

However, MI refuted these rumors in anticipation of the IPL 2024 auction starting in Dubai on Tuesday. The official also affirmed to the website that the captaincy decision, including Rohit's involvement, was communicated to every player in the Mumbai Indians team, ensuring transparency and inclusion in the decision-making process.