India's pace sensation Umran Malik burst onto the scene during the IPL 2022 season. His fast bowling skills were on display as he claimed 22 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Malik's impressive performance caught the attention of the BCCI, leading to his selection for the Indian national cricket team. He represented India in 18 games, taking 24 wickets. It was a promising start to his international career.
Umran Malik has achieved a significant milestone in Indian cricket. He bowled the fastest delivery by an Indian in an international match, clocking 156 KPH against Sri Lanka in an ODI in January 2023. Despite his initial success, Malik's career has faced challenges. His form has fluctuated, and his performances in the IPL have not been consistently strong. Malik was limited to a single game in the IPL 2024 season, playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Mumbai Indians (MI). In that match, he bowled just one over, conceding 15 runs.
On top of it, he was among few India stars who won't be able to participate in the upcoming Duleep Trophy, which may have hindered his chances of returning to the Indian national team. Both Mohammed Siraj and Malik have been suffering from illness and are unlikely to be fit before the start of Duleep Trophy which is set to start from September 5.
Paras Mhambrey on Umran Malik's decline
Meanwhile, former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey believes that Umran Malik's career has been impacted by a lack of red-ball cricket experience. In an interview with the Indian Express, he expressed his views on this matter.
"Umran is a classic case of who has not played enough red-ball cricket. He came to the reckoning through the IPL. That's 24 balls in a game. Sometimes you don't even get to bowl 24 balls. The amount of pressure of bowling 24 balls is not like the red ball. I feel this (T20) is not a format to judge a prospect,” Mhambrey told Indian Express.
"We made sure that he played Ranji Trophy and red ball cricket. The moment you will play one season, you will understand your bowling. Physically you will be tested in different phases of the game. Sometimes you will have to be on the ground for six sessions. And to be able to bowl with that intensity when the last session is coming up, you will be physically and mentally challenged. And you need to go through that,” he further added.
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