A total of 27 elite players were retained by eight respective franchises. While everyone was eyeing big players in the likes of MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli to be retained by the teams, one such rookie who made it to the list is Umran Malik.
The 22-year-old Kashmiri, a right-arm pacer, garnered attention after his debut against the Kolkata Knight Riders in the latest edition of the Indian Premier League. Umran Malik bowled at 152.95 Kph against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Virat Kohli in hindsight was quite vocal about the skills and raw pace that Malik possesses. The 152.95 Kph bowl later went to be the fastest ball of the tournament.
A guy not known by many who comes in and showcases such a natural pace surely has a story to tell.
The Story of Umran Malik
The Youngster has earned a considerate space in the eyes of cricket experts and fans. His story is less lustrous and more humble. Malik’s father, Abdul Rashid, owns a fruit shop in the Gujju Nagar area of Jammu. Like every other household in India, Malik faced the same challenges. Scolds from his father and the continuous tension from his family if he would fall into the traps of wrongdoings. His passion for the game made his family support him till the end and guess what? The belief is reaping success today.
I Bowled Him Out
In his early days, Umran Malik’s friend suggested that he register in an academy and train under a coach. On his visit to MA Cricket ground, coach Randhir Singh used to train young talents. He asked him to run five rounds of the cricket ground. He then was handed the bowl where he grabbed the wicket of a player that apparently, nobody did.
Where Are Your Spikes?
The state was undergoing trials for under – 19. On being asked to give the trials. Umran Malik was skeptical as he believed other players were far more talented than him. While appearing for the trials, Malik wasn’t shortlisted as he didn’t have prior experience playing for a club or district. The selectors also asked him about his attire and his spikes. Umran Malik who only had the experience of playing tennis ball tournaments didn’t have spikes.
It was when he randomly started bowling in the nets that peeped the selector’s attention into saying, ‘Who are you?’ You are bowling at such a quick pace! ‘No matter what, you will play.’
He was later asked to buy spikes and practice consistently.
Malik was supported by…
Apart from his family including his mother, two sisters, and friends, Malik owes a lot to the local coaches and Irfan Pathan. Randhir Singh noticed that although Malik was bowling quickly his jump and landing weren’t perfect. He worked on his runup and follow-through that was later staged by Irfan Pathan (J&K mentor).
Another J&K star Abdul Samad helped Umran Malik as well. Although Abdul is younger than Malik, he has had a bit of exposure beforehand. Malik says that Abdul is not just a teammate for him. He is just like his brother. It was due to Samad that the franchise chose him as the Net bowler for the 2020 edition, Samad is retained by the SRH franchise as well.
India Soon…
This is what the 18-year-old Umran wrote in his Instagram bio when he got selected in the U – 19 Jammu Cricket Squad. His debut in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was no less than a dreamer. 4-24-3 were his figures in his first match. Impressed with his IPL performance, the BCCI decided to hold him back for the recent T20 world cup held in UAE as a net bowler. The likes of Harshal Patel, Venkatesh Iyer were also included.
Ready For The Mega Auction
On being selected by the SRH franchise as a replacement bowler, Malik was clear that he had to play well to get picked up in the mega auction. Little did he know that the franchise would retain him at a record amount of 4 Crore Rupees. Umran Malik is currently a part of India A squad captained by the Gujarati top-order batsman Priyank Panchal.
He preaches others should never give up and underestimate the talents they have within themselves. Who would have thought that coming from a state which didn’t have a history of producing players, gave us this gem?
Being positive is the only way to move forward just like we at Mad4India believe.
To Know more about Umran Malik, Check his Instagram
If you loved reading about the inspiring story of Umran Malik, Read a story about Neeraj Chopra – A brief biography.
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