Umran Malik has been a sensation in the ongoing Indian T20 League 2022 for Hyderabad. Malik has been cranking high pace with the highest speed of 157 kmph. Only Lockie Ferguson from Gujarat is close with the highest speed of 153 kmph. The Jammu and Kashmir pacer has taken 21 wickets in 13 games including a fifer against Gujarat.
On May 17, he took two wickets in the same over against Mumbai to turn the game in the favor of his team. Mumbai was comfortably placed at 123/2 in 14 overs, chasing the target of 194 runs. However, the tearaway pacer took the wickets of Tilak Varma and Daniel Sams respectively on fiery short-pitched deliveries.
The team went on to win the game by three runs to keep their minuscule chance of qualifying for the playoffs alive. Meanwhile, after the game, the 22-year-old was asked about the chainsaw celebration that he does after picking a wicket. Hyderabad’s bowling Dale Steyn coach was famous for the celebration during his playing days.
The uncapped Indian pacer said he saw Steyn celebrate like that in nets and since then has tried to imitate him. “Dale Steyn is the umpire during net sessions and whenever I take a wicket, he does this kind of a celebration. I tried it one day, and since then it has become a habit. I am getting to learn a lot from Steyn and he is a cricketing legend. Even when we bowl for three hours in the nets, he is always there with us,†Malik said in the post-match presentation.
Umran added that nobody liked playing with him in Tennis Ball cricket because he used to bowl fast yorkers. “I bowl fast and I push my body to generate that pace. I used to play tennis ball cricket and there too I bowled very fast yorkers. Nobody would play tennis ball cricket with me because of the same. It helped me a lot with my pace as the ball is lighter,†he added.
