Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) young pacer Umran Malik clocked the fastest delivery of the IPL 2021 at 153 kmph against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Wednesday (October 6). He picked up his first IPL wicket in the match, which was his second appearance in the cash-rich league.
Malik's fastest delivery came on the fourth delivery of the 9th over in RCB's innings against Devdutt Padikkal. The lad from Jammu & Kashmir said that bowling fast comes naturally to him and he has always focused on bowling quick to trouble the batters.
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"From the very starting, I used to bowl fast. When I played cricket with Cosco ball, I used to bowl fast then also. We used to play one over matches and I used to run in and bowl fast yorkers. In 2018, U-19 trials came and I was bowling, the selectors saw me. I was bowling with jogger shoes, then my friend gave me spike shoes and I then came into the U-19 team. Then I played Under-23 cricket," Malik told teammate Bhuvneshwar Kumar in a video posted on iplt20.com.
"In 2018, I was practicing regularly. After Under-23, I played Vijay Hazare and Ranji Trophy. I thank the SRH franchise for giving me an opportunity. Irfan Pathan came and he told me where I can improve. I was scared at first when I had to bowl to Warner and Williamson in the nets. I prayed to God that I just bowl good balls. I kept on learning and this has helped me," he added.
Umran's bowling performance with a figure of 1/21 helped SRH secure their third win of the tournament. Star spinner Rashid Khan conceded 39 runs in his four overs and Sunrisers were worried about the middle overs while defending a small target of 142 runs.
That's when the 21-year-old Umran produced a good spell to put a brake on RCB's innings. He conceded only 10 runs in his first 3 overs.
"I was determined to take a wicket against RCB and I just wanted to take a wicket," said Malik after bagging his first IPL wicket. He dismissed Srikar Bharat caught behind on a short delivery in the 7th over.
(With ANI Inputs)
