Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer Umran Malik has been selected to stay back in the UAE to be alongside Team India as a net bowler during their T20 World Cup campaign.

The 21-year-old from Srinagar took Indian cricket by storm after displaying his raw pace in the three games he played in SRH’s lacklustre season. Umran Malik clocked 152.95 kph speed in one of the matches, which is currently the record for the fastest delivery in the season.

The selectors have decided to pick Umran Malik as a net bowler so that the Indian batters can practice better for playing bowling at a high pace. This also gives the youngster an opportunity to share the dressing room with the Indian players and learn from the senior pacer.

“Yes, he will be staying back with the team as net bowler. He was impressive in the IPL and we feel it will be a good idea to have the batsmen face him at the nets. It will also be a good exposure for him to bowl to the quality batsmen like Kohli and Rohit,” a source told ANI.

From the very starting, I used to bowl fast: Umran Malik

Umran Malik picked two wickets in three IPL matches and troubled some of the batters with his faster balls; he even hit Suryakumar Yadav on the helmet with a sharp short ball.

The right-arm pacer recently talked about his journey – from street cricket to under-19 to under-23.

“From the very starting, I used to bowl fast. When I played cricket with Cosco ball, I used to bowl fast then also. We used to play one over matches and I used to run in and bowl fast yorkers. In 2018, U-19 trials came and I was bowling, the selectors saw me. I was bowling with jogger shoes, then my friend gave me spike shoes and I then came into the U-19 team. Then I played Under-23 cricket,” Umran Malik told teammate Bhuvneshwar Kumar in a video posted on iplt20.com.

He also spoke about the role of Irfan Pathan in his development and how he felt while bowling to the likes of David Warner and Kane Williamson in the nets.

“In 2018, I was practicing regularly. After Under-23, I played Vijay Hazare and Ranji Trophy. I thank the SRH franchise for giving me an opportunity. Irfan Pathan came and he told me where I can improve. I was scared at first when I had to bowl to Warner and Williamson in the nets. I prayed to God that I just bowl good balls. I kept on learning and this has helped me,” he added.

SRH had a disappointing tournament but the management would be happy to see the rise of a young pacer.

India will take on Pakistan in their opening encounter on October 24 in Dubai. They will then meet New Zealand, Afghanistan, and two other teams who will qualify from Round 1 in the Super 12 stage.

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