Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said that they are keeping eye on young pacer Umran Malik and he’s ‘very much' in their plans for the T20 World Cup 2022.
Umran rose into the ranks after his sheer pace surprised many during the IPL 2022. His ability to bowl 150 kmph consistently impressed one and all and it also troubled many batters.
Not only did Umran impress many with his pace, but he also was the strike bowler for his team and took 22 wickets in the tournament, the fourth-highest in this season. He also was awarded emerging Player of the Season.
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Umran’s performance in the IPL 15 earned him his maiden national call-up for the T20I series against South Africa. Although he didn’t get a chance in the four matches, he retained his place in the side of the two-match series against Ireland, where he finally got a chance to grace the Indian colours.
He bowled only one over in the first game but stole the limelight in the second game, where he defended 17 runs off the last over to help India win. Malik has also been named in the squad for the T20I series against England, starting 7th July.
It is expected that team management would closely monitor his performance in the upcoming series, considering the T20 World Cup 2022 around the corner.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Rohit Sharma said that Umran is in their plans for the T20 World Cup 2022 and they are trying to make him understand what the team requires from him.
"He is very much in our plans, it is just trying to give him that understanding as to what the team requires from him as well. Yes, there will be times where we want to try out a few guys and Umran is definitely one of those guys, keeping one eye on the World Cup, we want to see what he has to offer for us," Rohit Sharma said.
Calling Umran an exciting prospect, Rohit said that they will assign a pacer the role and will give him clarity about it.
"He is definitely an exciting prospect, there is no doubt about it. We all saw during the IPL, that he can bowl fast. It is about giving him that role, whether we want to give him the new ball or we want to use him at the backend, when you play for franchises, the role is different as compared to when you play for the national team. It is just about understanding how you can fit in those individuals and give them clarity," he said.
(Times Now inputs)
