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Umran Malik is the new kid on the block everyone is talking about after he etched his name in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 after featuring in just three matches. The Jammu & Kashmir-born speedster caught a lucky break when he was included in Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as replacement for Covid-positive T Natarajan. Malik got a game when SRH were already out of the tournament but he still managed to make an impact with his raw pace and bowled the fastest ball(152.95 KMPH) by an Indian in the league’s history. Later, the 21-year-old was asked to stay back in UAE as one of the net bowlers to help India prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
It has been a roller-coaster month for the youngster as he will be under the radar for the national team in the future as well. In an exclusive interview with SportsTak, Malik talked about his journey, his interactions with legends during IPL and his ambitions.
Humble beginnings
“I live in Gujjar Nagar. Over there, cricket prevails more than other sports. When I was young, I used to go to the grounds and play with tennis balls. From there I kept on playing and went for the trials in 2018. I got selected in the trials and then played U-19, U-23, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy then reached SRH Franchise. It was God's grace that the franchise gave me the opportunity to play. I did well here and now I feel happy that I am selected as the net bowler in the team,” the pacer said.
It wasn't a cakewalk for Umran. The lack of training facilities and financial constraints were major hurdles in his journey. He recalled the time when he did not even have proper shoes with spikes.
“I used to play tennis ball cricket and bowled so fast that no one used to play with me. There is a term in tennis ball “gajini”, people used to call me with that and said we don’t want to play with you. I kept on bowling fast and one day selector Surinder Singh Badal saw me bowling fast. I just bowled one ball in front of him and he said that you should be on the team. I didn’t even have shoes at that time so Surinder sir gave me money to get new shoes. I purchased shoes but they got torn so my friend gave me shoes with proper spikes. Then I started my journey from here and have reached till here,” he recalled.
How Irfan Pathan helped him
Umran thanked former Indian left-arm fast bowler Irfan Pathan for playing a major role in his improvement. “My jump was long so I used to bowl outside the line. He guided me and helped me in making it right. I used to send him videos and he used to help me out. He has a big contribution to my improvement,” Umran thanked former Jammu & Kashmir mentor.
When Umran got his IPL debut
Umran was not the only player from his state. After getting the news of his debut, Umran could not think of anyone and rushed to hug his friend.
“I have a close friend Abdul Samad who is more than a brother to me. I was so happy about getting selected that I ran straight into his room and hugged him and told him that I have been selected. He was too happy and we both plugged in music. Then I contacted my parents and sister and told them the good news. All of them were happy after hearing this news,” he recollected.
Too fast in SRH nets
Umran gave a preview of what he is capable of to fellow SRH batter in the net sessions. He earned accolades from teammates including overseas cricketers
“I was bowling to them in good areas, they were getting beaten. They used to tell coaches that I was too fast. I felt good at that time. Then coaches used to guide me and help me in filling my loopholes. I gained confidence from them and was bowling well to Bairstow, Samad, Abhishek, Priyam, etc. then franchises gave me the opportunity in the team,” the SRH sensation said.
Umran’s goal
After dazzling in the ongoing IPL, Umran has his eyes set on earning the debut cap for India. “I want Dhoni to give me debut cap. Haven’t met him but would like to meet him,” he said.
Umran’s dream of meeting Dhoni will soon become a reality as the former skipper will be mentoring Team India during the T20 World Cup. From the current lot, Umran has already talked to the likes of Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah after the match against Mumbai Indians (MI). On being asked about whether he got any advice from India’s bowling spearhead, he said, “I talked about tips only. All about how to ball yorkers. He told me how to bowl yorkers. He said when you are tired still you should be able to bowl yorkers. He told that you should bowl yorkers and slower deliveries in the right areas during death overs.”
