Virender Sehwag Warns India’s New T20I Captain KL Rahul:
The Indian cricket team is all set to lock horns with South Africa in the upcoming 5-match T20I series, starting from June 9th. The BCCI announced an 18-member squad for the series and one of the biggest highlights of the selection was the inclusion of Sunrisers Hyderabad pace sensation Umran Malik.
Umran Malik’s name has been on everyone’s lips during the ongoing 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League and all thanks to his raw pace and terrific bowling spells, he has earned his national call-up for the upcoming season.
Umran Malik breathed fire as he clocked above 150 km/h on a consistent basis in the ongoing season. The 22-year-old pacer has amassed 22 wickets in 14 games at a strike rate of just 13.57 and an economy rate of 9.03 in the ongoing season.
Virender Sehwag On Umran Malik’s Inclusion:
Though, this selection was backed by several experts and veteran cricketers but former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has issued a warning to the team management and KL Rahul, who will be leading team India in the upcoming series.
Speaking to Cricbuzz following the big announcement by the BCCI, Sehwag hailed Umran Malik as a special talent but also admitted that the youngster can emerge to be an ‘asset’ for Team India but he also suggested that the captain KL Rahul use the bowler effectively during the series against South Africa. He said:
“Umran Malik is a special talent because with the speed with which he bowls. Hence, he has to be used carefully by India and the India captain. Because he is a player, if used too much in the powerplay, may end up conceding a lot of runs. However, if he used effectively, he can become an asset for the Indian team,”
Mohammad Azharuddin On Umran Malik’s Inclusion:
Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin had also expressed their concern over Umran after backing the pacer to make the Test team as well. Azharuddin feels that his workload should be managed properly, falling which he could incur injuries. He had Tweeted:
“Umran Mailk deserves to be picked in test team. Managing his workload is critical, failing which he can succumb to injures. Hope he is provided the support an express fast bowler needs. #UmranMalik #IPL2022,”
Check out the Tweet:
Umran Mailk deserves to be picked in test team. Managing his workload is critical, failing which he can succumb to injures.
Hope he is provided the support an express fast bowler needs.#UmranMalik #IPL2022— Mohammed Azharuddin (@azharflicks) May 23, 2022