Monitor News Desk
J&K pacer Umran Malik is likely to be included in Team India for the five-match T20 series against South Africa in June.
Media reports said BCCI selectors will soon pick up the team for the series. The indication is that Sunrisers Hyderabad speedster will make the cut this time around.
“Anyone who can bowl as fast as Umran Malik is a special talent. Everyone is impressed with his pace. He will surely be on selector’s radar,” media reports said.
Reports said chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma and his committee will be keeping a close eye on Umran.
India will play South Africa in a five-match T20 International series at home (June 9, 12, 14, 17, 20) and two matches in Ireland’s Malahide (June 26, 28).
India is likely to rest some of the top white-ball specialists for the series.
The BCCI too is keen on having a bigger pool of fast bowlers going into the upcoming World T20 in Australia. Umran, with his scorching pace, has a high probability of making it to the squad if all goes well and he remains fit over the next two months.
Umran has broken many records in IPL history. Sunrisers Hyderabad player became only fourth bowler in IPL history to bowl a maiden 20th over. Earlier Irfan Pathan, Lasith Malinga, and Jaydev Unadkat had achieved the feat.
What made the record sweet was that he picked up three wickets in his maiden over against Punjab kings. Umran removed Odean Smith (13) on the second delivery of the last over. He then cleaned up Rahul Chahar (0) with a blistering delivery. Vaibhav Arora (0) followed suit. He was on a hat-trick on the last delivery but Arshdeep Singh pushed the delivery for single. But he was run-out.
Last week Umran Malik has silenced the critics after he bowled a perfect Yorker to knock over the stumps of Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Shreyas Iyer.
Iyer was batting at 28 off 24 balls when Umran, who was retained by Sunrisers Hyderbad, bowled a quick Yorker and knocked his stumps. Sunrisers’ fast-bowling coach Dale Steyn could not hide his excitement.
Earlier, former England skipper Michal Vaughan asked BCCI to send Umran to play county cricket to hone his skills.
Vaughan said that a stint in county cricket could help in his development. “Umran Malik will play for India very soon … If I was the BCCI I would be sending him to play some County cricket this summer to help him develop first though,” he tweeted
J&K-born Umran, who was retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2022, is already one of the fastest bowlers in India.
In the match against Chennai Super Kings. Umran Malik clocked 153.1kmph. He bettered his own record by bowling the fastest delivery. Last year Malik clocked 151.03 kilometers per hour (KMPH) in his first over against Kolkata Knight Riders,
He won the fastest ball of the match award for the third consecutive time. It was also the fastest ball of IPL 2022.
Jammu and Kashmir pacer has impressed everyone with his pace. In his first match against Rajasthan Royals, Umran Malik finished with 2/37.
SRH retained him for Rs 4 crore along with captain Kane Williamson and all-rounder Abdul Samad, also from Jammu and Kashmir.
Coming from a humble background, Malik’s father runs a fruit stall in Jammu. A class X dropout, Malik is the only brother of his elder sisters.
Last season, Umran Malik was with the SunRisers as a net bowler. But after T Natarajan tested positive for COVID, Malik was named his replacement.
Malik made his competitive debut last year. He has picked a total of four wickets having played one T20 and List A match for Jammu and Kashmir. Malik made his T20 debut for Jammu and Kashmir in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in January last year. In his T20 debut vs Railways, he returned with the impressive figures of 3/24nt.
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