Umran Malik has become the talk of the town for his express pace in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), he has consistently clocked 150+ kmph and many top batters have found him difficult to deal with.
However, the young speedster has been on the expensive side with the ball, conceding 420 runs from 13 matches at an economy rate of 8.93 as some teams opted for a counter-attacking approach against him.
On Tuesday (May 17), Malik returned with the figures of 3 for 23 in his three overs to script SRH’s narrow three-run victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium.
Despite being in a good rhythm, the 22-year-old wasn’t given the ball to complete his fourth over at the death – a decision that the SRH head coach Tom Moody defended after the game.
"To expose him when he hasn't had that experience is a high-risk option," Moody said at the post-match press conference. "Not that he couldn't have done it, he could've probably done it very well, but we went in with a specialist."
He acknowledged the impact Umran Malik had on the game after MI got off to a flying start while chasing SRH’s target of 194.
"At the end of the day, Umran has been used as an impact bowler in the middle overs, and he has done that well. He has taken wickets, when we've needed them in the middle of the innings. He's here to hone his skills as a specialist death bowler. When you've got someone like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Natarajan and Farooqui -- all of whom have the experience of bowling in the death, you've to back those people who have that responsibility and done that."
According to Moody, Umran is a fast learner although he had his moments of difficulty.
"Umran is on a steep learning curve. He has bowled very well in this IPL. He has had his moments of being challenged. But like any young player who bursts on to the scene, you need to be measured with your approach. It's a big step-up. When he comes to international cricket, that's a path he will take - whether that time is month's time, week's time or a year's time only time will tell. But he has cramped a lot of learning in a very short period of time. He has come from very little cricket, he has been exposed to very little cricket. He has been exposed to an accelerated learning process," he said.
The Sunrisers are currently occupying the eighth spot on the points table, with 12 points from 13 matches. They will face Punjab Kings in their last league match on May 22.
(With Cricbuzz inputs)
