James Pattinson replaces Lasith Malinga for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020

Australian spearhead pacer James Pattinson has been signed by Mumbai Indians as a replacement for Lasith Malinga for the Dream11 IPL 2020 season.

The development comes after Malinga had requested unavailability for the season for personal reasons and to be with family back home in Sri Lanka.

Pattinson will join the team currently based in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

In a statement releaed to media, team owner Akash Ambani said: "James is the right fit for us and adds to our pace attack options available at hand especially for the conditions we will play in this season in UAE. Lasith is a legend and a pillar of MI’s strength. There is no denying the fact that we will miss Lasith’s cricketing acumen this season. However, we fully understand Lasith’s need to be in Sri Lanka with his family during this time. Mumbai Indians is founded on the values of ‘One Family’ and for us the members of our squad and their wellbeing will always hold utmost importance. We welcome James to our One Family."

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