When Sunrisers Hyderabad raised their paddle to ₹1.20 crore for Eshan Malinga at the IPL 2025 mega auction, few outside Sri Lanka knew the name. At four times his ₹30 lakh base price, the bid looked like a gamble on potential. Malinga answered it with 13 wickets in just seven matches in his debut season, and then backed it up in 2026 with 20 wickets in 15 games to finish as the sixth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. This is the complete Eshan Malinga IPL stats profile: every season, every price, and his 2027 status.
The right-arm fast-medium bowler from Ratnapura has become one of SRH’s most trusted options with the ball, especially when it reverses. His match-winning spell of 3 for 29 against Chennai Super Kings in April 2026 earned him the Player of the Match award and drew high praise from SRH bowling coach Varun Aaron, who called him “a pure T20 bowler”. The rise continued into the Lanka Premier League, where Malinga finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker as Galle Gallants lifted their maiden title.
Eshan Malinga IPL Stats Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Eshan Malinga |
| Date of Birth | 4 February 2001 (age 25) |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Role | Right-arm fast-medium bowler |
| IPL Debut | 2025 (Sunrisers Hyderabad) |
| Current IPL Team | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| IPL Matches | 22 |
| IPL Runs | 7 |
| Highest Score | 5 |
| IPL Wickets | 33 |
| Best Bowling | 3/29 (reported) |
| IPL 2027 Team | Sunrisers Hyderabad (retention expected, not officially confirmed) |
| IPL 2027 Price | Not officially confirmed |
Who Is Eshan Malinga?
Eshan Malinga was born on 4 February 2001 in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka. A right-arm fast-medium bowler, he came through domestic cricket with Ragama Cricket Club, making his first-class debut in September 2022, his List A debut in July 2022 and his T20 debut in May 2022. His ability to bowl at around 145 km/h, hit sharp bouncers and nail yorkers at the death marked him out as a white-ball prospect, and he moved through Sri Lanka A and the emerging teams before breaking into Sri Lanka’s white-ball sides around 2025.
What separates Malinga is his command of the old ball. SRH’s coaching staff have repeatedly highlighted his reverse-swing bowling in the death overs as his biggest weapon, and he has shown he can take the new ball when asked. In two IPL seasons he has grown from an auction surprise to a frontline seamer, and his LPL 2026 heroics with Galle Gallants suggest the trajectory is still pointing upward.
Eshan Malinga IPL Teams
| Season | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Bought at mega auction for ₹1.20 crore |
| 2026 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Retained for ₹1.20 crore |
| 2027 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Retention expected, not officially confirmed |
Malinga has spent his entire IPL career with Sunrisers Hyderabad. After buying him at the 2025 mega auction, SRH retained him ahead of 2026 at the same ₹1.2 crore price — a clear vote of confidence after his debut-season return. He has featured in a pace attack led by captain Pat Cummins, working alongside Abhishek Sharma‘s spin-heavy support cast and fellow seamer Sakib Hussain. Retention roundups ahead of the IPL 2027 auction list Malinga among the players SRH are likely to keep, though the official retention list is yet to be confirmed.
Eshan Malinga IPL 2024 Stats
Eshan Malinga was not part of the IPL in 2024. At that stage he was still playing domestic cricket in Sri Lanka, and he entered the league when Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him at the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Eshan Malinga IPL 2025 Stats
| Format | M | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Avg | Econ | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling | 7 | 26.4 | 238 | 13 | 18.31 | 9.02 | 12.3 |
Malinga’s debut IPL season was genuinely impressive. Thirteen wickets in seven matches at an average of 18.31 and a strike rate of 12.3 showed a bowler who takes wickets rather than just containing — exactly what SRH had paid a premium for. An economy rate of 9.02 reflected the learning curve of bowling at the death in India, but the breakthroughs justified his selection in most games he was available for.
Eshan Malinga IPL 2026 Stats
| Format | M | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Avg | Econ | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling | 15 | 54.2 | 507 | 20 | 25.35 | 9.35 | 16.3 |
The second season was the step up that proved the first was no fluke. Doubling his match count to 15, Malinga took 20 wickets and finished as the sixth-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2026. His average rose to 25.35 and his economy sat at 9.35, numbers shaped by regular death-overs duty rather than comfortable middle-overs spells. The highlight came on 18 April against Chennai Super Kings, when his 3 for 29 — dismissing Ruturaj Gaikwad, Matt Short and Sarfaraz Khan — won SRH the game by 10 runs and earned him Player of the Match.
With the bat, Malinga is a tailender. In 2026 he scored 7 runs in 13 innings with a highest score of 5, striking at 41.18. He did not bat in 2025.
Eshan Malinga IPL 2027 Stats
IPL 2027 statistics are not available yet because the season has not started. What is confirmed: Malinga has played only for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, and retention roundups ahead of the IPL 2027 auction list him among the players SRH are likely to retain at his ₹1.2 crore sold price. The official IPL 2027 retention list is not yet confirmed. Once the season begins, this section will carry his IPL 2027 numbers, clearly labelled as stats so far.
Eshan Malinga IPL 2027 Team and Price
Malinga is expected to continue with Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2027. His 2025 purchase price was ₹1.20 crore, and SRH retained him at the same figure for 2026. If retained again ahead of 2027, he would stay at his sold price, but the franchise has not officially confirmed his retention yet. The mini auction ahead of the season will determine the final shape of SRH’s pace attack, with Pat Cummins set to lead it and Malinga, if retained, slotting back in as the Sri Lankan quick.
Eshan Malinga IPL Career Batting Stats
| Season | M | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 7.00 | 41.18 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 22 | 7 | 5 | 7.00 | 41.18 | 0 | 0 |
Eshan Malinga IPL Career Bowling Stats
| Season | M | Overs | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Avg | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 22 | 81.0 | 745 | 33 | 3/29 | 22.58 | 9.20 | 14.7 | 0 | 0 |
Eshan Malinga IPL Stats by Year
| Season | Team | Mat | Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 50s | 100s | Wkts | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | SRH | 7 | – | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | 13 | 9.02 |
| 2026 | SRH | 15 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 7.00 | 41.18 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 9.35 |
Eshan Malinga IPL Highest Score
Malinga’s highest IPL score is 5, recorded during the 2026 season. As a specialist tailender he bats at number 10 or 11 when he bats at all, and his value to Sunrisers Hyderabad lies entirely with the ball.
Eshan Malinga IPL Wickets and Best Bowling
Malinga has taken 33 wickets in 22 IPL matches across two seasons, all for Sunrisers Hyderabad. His 13 wickets in 2025 came in only seven games; his 20 wickets in 2026 made him the sixth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. His best reported IPL figures are 3 for 29 against Chennai Super Kings at Hyderabad on 18 April 2026 — the match-winning spell that earned him Player of the Match and the now-famous “pure T20 bowler” verdict from Varun Aaron.
Eshan Malinga IPL Auction Price History
| Season | Team | Price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | ₹1.20 crore | Bought at mega auction (four times his ₹30 lakh base price) |
| 2026 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | ₹1.20 crore | Retained |
| 2027 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Not officially confirmed | Retention expected, official list awaited |
Eshan Malinga IPL Records and Achievements
- Sixth-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2026 with 20 wickets in 15 matches
- Player of the Match against Chennai Super Kings on 18 April 2026 for 3/29
- Finished as the leading wicket-taker (17 wickets) in the Lanka Premier League 2026, including three wickets in the final as Galle Gallants won their maiden title
- Praised by SRH bowling coach Varun Aaron as “a pure T20 bowler” after his match-winning spell against CSK
- One of Sri Lanka’s fastest-emerging IPL exports, bought at four times his base price in the 2025 mega auction
Eshan Malinga’s IPL Performance Analysis
The numbers tell a story of a wicket-taker, not a container. Malinga’s career strike rate of 14.7 balls per wicket is genuinely elite for a seamer bowling significant death overs, and his debut-season figure of 12.3 was outstanding. The trade-off is visible in his economy: 9.20 across two seasons is the price of bowling yorkers, bouncers and reverse-swing at 145 km/h in the toughest overs of the innings.
The 2026 season added volume without losing penetration. Playing more than twice as many matches, he kept taking wickets at a strike rate better than a wicket every three overs, and the Chennai spell showed he can hold his nerve when the game is on the line. The trajectory from ₹30 lakh base price to ₹1.2 crore purchase to back-to-back retained seamer mirrors what the coaches say about him: a bowler whose reverse swing at the death is a genuine point of difference. The next test is the 2027 season, where a bigger role — and possibly the new ball alongside Cummins — could define how high his ceiling goes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which team does Eshan Malinga play for in the IPL?
Eshan Malinga plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad, who bought him at the IPL 2025 mega auction and retained him for 2026.
What was Eshan Malinga’s IPL auction price?
SRH bought Malinga for ₹1.20 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction — four times his ₹30 lakh base price — and retained him for the same amount in 2026.
How many wickets has Eshan Malinga taken in the IPL?
Malinga has taken 33 wickets in 22 IPL matches: 13 in 7 matches in 2025 and 20 in 15 matches in 2026.
When did Eshan Malinga make his IPL debut?
Eshan Malinga made his IPL debut in 2025 for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
What are Eshan Malinga’s best bowling figures in the IPL?
His best reported figures are 3 for 29 against Chennai Super Kings in April 2026, a match-winning spell that earned him the Player of the Match award.
Will Eshan Malinga play in IPL 2027?
He is widely expected to be retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2027, but the official retention list has not been confirmed yet.
Sources and Data Notes
Season statistics and career figures were cross-checked against multiple published sources, including Wikipedia’s Eshan Malinga profile, SportsTak’s report on his match-winning spell against CSK, SportsYaari’s season-by-season IPL statistics, and IPL 2027 retention roundups listing SRH’s likely retained players. Statistics and player information are checked against available reliable sources and may be updated as new IPL matches, transfers, or official announcements are confirmed.
Statistics updated through: 21 October 2026
