After three forgettable nights, Umran Malik, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s young pace sensation, was back amongst wicket. And he did it with some oomph against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Malik has been having a topsy turvy IPL 2022. In his first three games he had taken only 2 wickets but then bounced back, taking 13 wickets – including his maiden five-wicket haul -in the next 4 matches and got up in the Purple Cap race.
However, in the next three games, while his speed continued to rise – he bowled the second fastest delivery even in the IPL, clocking 156.9 KPH – Malik was clattered mercilessly by the batsmen as he couldn’t control his lines and lengths. He registered figures of 0/48, 0/52 and 0/25 (in 2 overs), leaking over 12 runs an over in those three matches.
Many felt that Malik needs to be given a rest, needs to be talked up by SRH bowling coach Dale Steyn. However, SRH chose to back him, despite three horrible outings and played him against KKR; their decision must have been emboldened by the fact that the KKR batters have been poor at handling high pace and short stuff this season.
That is what Malik exploited as he returned with a three-wicket haul while conceding 33 runs which was expected for a 22-year-old who bowls at such a high pace and lacks experience. It was his three wickets, which included Ajinkya Rahane, Nitish Rana and Shreyas Iyer.
Rahane and Rana had set up KKR a good total of 55 in the powerplay. Introduced in the 8th over, Malik struck immediately, bouncing out Rana who couldn’t handle the pace or the bounce and chipped it to Shashank Singh in the deep. Three balls later, he had Rahane upper cutting another short ball. Shashank, this time, took another terrific catch running around the boundary line.
In his next over, he got rid of KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer – not with a short ball, but this time with a full ball on the pads that Iyer hit straight to Tripathi at deep mid-wicket.
Malik bowled two stunning overs for 3 wickets and 14 runs. However, once again the youngster went astray in his bowling and leaked 19 runs in his next couple of overs, plenty of wides included.
Nonetheless, Irfan Pathan was happy with Malik’s bowling show today. He also gave credit to SRH for backing Malik despite his poor last three matches.
“Push him when does well, Back him when he doesn’t. He is still young but with tons of potential. well done my boy #UmranMalik,” Irfan Pathan tweeted.
Here, check out Irfan Pathan’s beautiful tweet for Umran Malik:
Push him when does well, Back him when he doesn’t. He is still young but with tons of potential. well done my boy #UmranMalik
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) May 14, 2022
