Watch: Lasith Malinga’s lookalike spotted at Wankhede Stadium during MI vs CSK clash in IPL 2026

The iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai was decorated and prepared for the El Clásico of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings. But the fans buzzed with nostalgia when the television screen showed the lookalike of the former MI pacer, Lasith Malinga, before the start of action.

The home captain, Hardik Pandya, won the toss and decided to bowl first on a high-scoring surface, where even a score of 220 was expected to be par in defense. Despite their success over the years in the competition with five trophies on each other, the pressure was on both teams to do well in this edition.

Lasith Malinga’s lookalike in IPL 2026 goes viral

Lasith Malinga has been working as the bowling coach of the Mumbai franchise in this IPL 2026 and was at the ground preparing the bowlers in the practice session ahead of the encounter. But a lookalike of the legendary pacer with signature curls and MI jersey was seen sitting in the stands.

The fan’s uncanny resemblance was quick to go viral on social media platforms. The high-definition clips of the fan were circulated rapidly as the light-hearted moment brought massive excitement among the fans in the IPL 2026 blockbuster.

Watch the video here:

Malinga remains the leading wicket-taker of the Mumbai side in IPL history. The right-arm pacer picked up 195 wickets in just 137 innings at an average of under 20 and an extraordinary economy rate of just over seven, with two five-wicket hauls and seven four-wicket hauls.

CSK lose track after powerplay losing consistent wickets

Chennai started well with their captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, clubbing 22 runs off 13 balls with three boundaries and one six before being dismissed and continuing his poor form in this edition. Sarfaraz Khan and Shivam Dube couldn’t make a massive contribution in the batting department, while Dewald Brevis failed to continue his success after 21 runs off 11 balls.

See Also: Watch: Allah Ghazanfar dismisses Ruturaj Gaikwad for 22 during MI vs CSK clash in IPL 2026

Sanju Samson, meanwhile, celebrated his half-century and was the lone warrior for them towards the end of the innings. Allah Ghazanfar was excellent with his figures of 2/20 in his four overs. 

Brief Scores (at the time of writing): CSK 165/5 (Sanju Samson 78, AM Ghazanfar 2/25) vs MI. 

Fans react to Malinga’s lookalike in IPL 2026

Here is how the fans have reacted to Malinga’s lookalike during the MI vs CSK clash in the IPL 2026-