Umran Malik speaks with Murali Kartik before the match between SRH and MI©IPL
The 2023 Indian Premier League season has not seen the Umran Malik that the fans wanted. The speedy pacer failed to impress like he did for Sunrisers Hyderabad last season due to inconsistent showing, coupled with a dip in bowling speed. Ahead of the Sunriers’ final league game of the season against the Mumbai Indians, Umran was asked his opinion on how this season has gone for him. The young speedster said he couldn’t bowl as consistently as he did for the franchise last season.
“Last year I played all the matches and bowled all the overs. This time I bowled fewer overs and only took 5 wickets. When I wasn’t playing I was working hard. I hope to do better today (against MI ),” Umran told Murali Kartik ahead of the match against MI.
When Kartik pointed out that Umran’s pace was also not as fiery as last season, the Jammu & Kashmir pacer argued that he has only bowled a few overs this season, which is not enough for him to warm up.
“I don’t think my pace is affected. If I’m only bowling two overs… I also need some overs to warm up my batteries and pick up that pace. I try to bowl the right lines with good speed, and with some variations.
“If the team needs wickets, I target wickets. Otherwise, I try to curb the flow of runs,” added Umran.
In the match, Umran bowled three overs and conceded a whopping 41 runs without picking a single wicket. While Umran’s talent is undeniable, there is still plenty of work to be done before he fulfills the potential that people see in him.
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