Umran Malik is a great Indian cricketing story. From the streets of Jammu, he has made space for himself in the world's biggest cricket league and knows no stopping. He has already bowled the fastest delivery of the league and is expected to breach the fastest-ever mark set by Shoaib Akhtar.
There are also signs that Umran may go on to play for the Indian men's cricket team soon. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly recently spoke highly of the pacer and hinted at his selection.
He said, "How many can bowl at 150 km? Not many. I won’t be surprised if he gets picked for the national team. We have to be careful in using him, though. Umran is the fastest. I also like Kuldip Sen. Also, T Natarajan has made comeback. We will have Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Finally, it is up to the selectors."
He's already taken 2__1__ wickets. And the fuel that keeps our #JammuExpress steaming ahead is your love for him, #OrangeArmy. ___#ReadyToRise #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/yLComTAW3F
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) May 18, 2022
Even former West Indian pacer Ian Bishop has great things to say about Malik, who has impressed the legend with his bowling in IPL 2022.
Bishop feels Malik's pace, indeed, makes him a special bowler.
"Malik’s pace distinguishes him from every other bowler around the country and beyond now. It has been heartening watching his control improve as the IPL has gone along. He is adding control and know-how to his skill set without losing velocity," Bishop told Sportstar.
"He seems to be a quick learner and a very hard worker who is not overawed by the boundary hitting power of the modern batsman. He gets hit for boundaries and keeps running in harder. That is a great attitude to have," added the legendary bowler.
Bishop also said an important thing that Malik should not be judged by a few bad games and that he is in here for a long haul. He also had a word of advice for the pacer.
"It helps to have a short memory in the T20 format as a fast bowler. Forget the inevitable bad over or bad games as quickly as possible and keep striving for a good performance with a smile and joy. It is important though to acknowledge that Malik is still a work in progress. He is nowhere near the finished article," said Bishop.
