The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has provided a platform for many young players from all over the world to demonstrate their abilities. Ayush Badoni, Tilak Varma, and Dewald Brevis are among the few young batters who have risen to the occasion.
Tushar Deshpande, Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep, and Umran Malik, the fastest of his contemporaries, have all displayed their ability with the ball. Malik, a Jammu and Kashmir native, was picked by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2021 and was one of three players retained by the franchise before the mega auctions in 2022, the other two being skipper Kane Williamson and Abdul Samad.
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Many experts have lauded Umran Malik, who was a net bowler during India's World T20 campaign in the UAE last year, and West Indies great Ian Bishop said on Star Sports that he expects the young quick to play for India soon. The former pacer-turned-commentator also stated that quick bowling skills cannot be taught.
"I've been excited about this guy since I saw him bowl last year. Genuine pace, you cannot go to a supermarket and buy that. You can train someone to master line and length but can't teach someone how to bowl fast. He's bowling with hostility which means even the best of batters will be uncomfortable facing him."
"He scares you the same way Lockie Ferguson and Jofra Archer do, and Dale Steyn loves him. It's just fascinating to me what Umran Malik can become. If he stays fit, he's going to play for India and international cricket. I would also repeat how many Umran Malik's around this vast nation are yet to be discovered," he said.
Sunrisers recently emerged victorious against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and the young pacer was declared the Player of the Match. He took 4 wickets in his 4 overs while conceding just 28.
In the last over of the first inning, Umran was handed the ball and on the 2nd ball he got the wicket of Odean Smith caught and bowled, and the last three balls saw three wickets falling which included a run-out.
Not a single run was scored which meant that the Hyderabad team had to chase 152 to win the match. The Kane Williamson-led side chased down the target with seven wickets and as many balls to spare.
SRH will next take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Saturday (April 23) at the Brabourne Stadium.
(HT INPUTS)
