Umran Malik had a forgettable last season, and bowled only one over throughout IPL 2024. Over two years ago, speedster Umran Malik emerged as a pace sensation in the 2022 Indian Premier League with Sunrisers Hyderabad. Umran Malik’s strong performances earned him a maiden India call-up in the shortest format right after the season ended, too. However, inconsistent performances and injuries marked his stint with the national team, and Umran Malik’s sporadic appearances meant he could never cement his place in the side.
Umran Malik had a tough outing with the SRH this year, too, as he was barely selected in the playing XI. The side enjoyed a stellar run to the tournament’s final, but the young Jammu & Kashmir pacer played only one match. He didn’t get to bowl his full quota of overs in the game, too, delivering only one over for 15 runs.
Umran Malik working on his bowling post his injury
A recurring challenge for Umran Malik throughout his career has been managing his economy rate. Despite his remarkable ability to clock speeds of 150kph and above consistently during the 2022 and 2023 IPL seasons, his control often fell short.
India’s former bowling coach, Paras Mhambrey, who stepped down after the T20 World Cup victory in June earlier this year, had emphasized this point in an earlier interview with Indian Express. Mhambrey also noted that Umran Malik’s lack of control ultimately led to Rohit Sharma losing ‘faith’ in the young pacer.
Umran Malik explained how he is working on his bowling ahead of the upcoming season, with an eye on India’s blockbuster tour to Australia later this year.
Umran Malik’s key revelation as pacer aims to regain Rohit Sharma’s ‘faith’ post injury and dengue in IPL 2024
Indian speedster Umran Malik opened up on his tough phase over the past few months with injury misfortunes and poor form ahead of the 2024-25 Indian domestic season. The 24-year-old burst onto the scene after a sensational IPL 2022 campaign for the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), picking up 22 wickets in 14 games.
More than the numbers, Umran’s express pace caught the eyes of the fans and experts. Many tout him as the next big thing in the Indian pace battery. However, things have since gone downhill, with the youngster playing only nine matches in the next two IPLs and scalping a mere five wickets.
Furthermore, injuries and bad weather derailed his 2023-24 Ranji season for Jammu & Kashmir. He picked up only four wickets at an average of over 38 in five outings.
Umran spoke to The Indian Express about the disappointing last season and said:
“I was fully prepared that season, but the weather didn’t help. Then I was really looking forward to the IPL as I’d gained a lot in the months preceding the IPL.
“Unfortunately even that didn’t go the way I wanted. 2. But it also gave me the time to work on things I wanted to in the practice sessions. I’ve definitely become a better bowler if you ask me. After the IPL, I injured my hamstring and just as I recovered I’m down with dengue.”
Despite the setbacks, Umran remained upbeat about the upcoming domestic season and spoke about the strides made in his bowling.
“These days I’m bowling a lot with the new ball because I believe swing can make a huge difference at my pace. I want to learn a few things, especially how to formulate a plan and execute it. If you have that, then you will be better prepared to handle the challenges,” Umran stated.
Following his impressive IPL 2022 season, Umran was fast-tracked into the Indian white-ball sides later that year. He has played 10 ODIs and 8 T20Is in his brief international career, picking up 24 wickets across the two formats.
Irfan Pathan on Umran Malik
Former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan has been working with Umran Malik to make minor tweaks to his action. He recently said he was clear that the youngster should not compromise on pace.
However, Irfan Pathan mentioned waiting until the end of last season to help Malik improve his bowling.
“Last season, he was opening up a bit too early but I didn’t want to advise him in the middle of the tournament because it can confuse a player. First of all I don’t want him to compromise on pace. That’s the most important thing,” said Pathan.
He added:
“I want him to bowl with a new ball in the nets which will allow him to gain better control. If he bowls with the new ball regularly, he will have a better idea of the length. He will also understand that swing will come with good wrist position. This is the primary focus, but other than this, he has been working on his yorkers.”
Umran Malik boasts an impressive overall T20 average of 24.98 in 54 outings but his first-class and List-A averages are upwards of 40.