Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) speedster Umran Malik is having a great time in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). He has caught everyone’s attention with his sheer pace and bounce.
Umran put on another fast bowling exhibition in SRH’s recent encounter against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at DY Patil Stadium on Sunday (April 17). He consistently clocked the speed of 145+ kph and returned with impressive figures of 4 for 28 in his four overs.
No wonder, SRH’s pace-bowling coach Dale Steyn believes that the Jammu and Kashmir lad will soon play international cricket for India.
“Umran will play international cricket, no doubt about that. He bowls at 150kmph consistently, and nobody else is doing that in the world right now, maybe Lockie Ferguson is the other guy who does it, but they are very different bowlers. But from an Indian point of view, he is the only guy that consistently bowls over 145-150kmph every single ball, so he will play for India. But how India manages him is completely up to them,” Steyn told Sportstar in an exclusive chat.
During the IPL 2022, Umran Malik has also bowled the fastest delivery in the tournament history with the one clocking 153.1 kph against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 9.
“I think the more he plays, the more he will get better. And he is figuring his skills out there on the field. I think he is led by Kane (Williamson) well. And, we have made 100 per cent sure that there's somebody next to him that he can have a conversation with if he finds himself in a difficult position,” Steyn said.
“So, we have tried to structure it that way he’s bowling - we have got somebody like Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) or Nattu (T. Natarajan) very close to him, like middle for mid-on, or even Kane, just so that they can speak to him if he finds himself in a difficult situation. But overall, I just think that everybody has been given the freedom to express themselves and play in the manner in which they feel is best suited to them…”
After two successive defeats, SRH bounced back in the tournament with four wins on the trot and bowlers played a vital role in it.
“Everybody is happy. Everybody has clear roles as to what they have to do. So, clarity is great. What is fantastic is the fact that they have got a good game plan that they have put in place - they have game plan A, B and C. In case they are in trouble, they have options to get out of the trouble. And, they also have wicket-taking options, which is all you want from a bowling unit, and the rest kind of plays up,” Steyn said.
“The guys are well prepared and they are fantastic players - that’s all you can ask for. You just hope things go your way, which has been working so far…”
Sunrisers Hyderabad will face Royal Challengers Bangalore in their next match on April 23.
(With Sportstar inputs)
