'Good sign for Indian cricket': Kohli and Williamson heap praise on 'special' Indian pacer

Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday, October 6, gave Jammu & Kashmir pacer Umran Malik a signed jersey after his side went down against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) during the 52nd match of IPL 2021. Umran Malik impressed one and all, including RCB captain Virat Kohli, with his slithering pace.

Umran Malik made his IPL debut against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) last week and immediately rose to fame by becoming the first Indian speedster to click 150kmph in the ongoing edition of the IPL. 

Umran Malik on the rise in IPL

In his second IPL game last night, Malik not just finished as SRH's most economical bowler by bowling consistently in the 140s but, he also registered the fastest delivery of the season as he clicked 152.95, surpassing KKR bowler Lockie Ferguson's 152.75. Malik bowled four overs against RCB and picked up 1 wicket for 21 runs at an economy of 5.25. 

After the match, Malik was seen talking to Kohli and receiving a signed jersey from the Indian captain. Kohli was also all praise for Malik after the game, lauding the Kashmiri bowler in his post-match interview. Kohli said it was good to see Malik bowl at 150 clicks and stressed how important it is for Indian cricket to keep a stock of good fast bowlers.

"This tournament throws up a talent every year and it's good to see a guy [Umran Malik] bowling at 150 clicks. It’s important to understand the progress of individuals from here, how to maintain your body and how you can get the best out of them. The pool of fast bowlers is always going to be good for Indian cricket and whenever you see a talent like this, you're going to have your eyes on them moving forward and make sure that you maximise their potential, which is already been seen at the IPL level,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

SRH skipper Kane Williamson also praised the young pacer after the match, calling him a "special" talent. Williamson said Malik has been a valuable addition to the side. 

“He [Umran} certainly is special. We’ve seen him in the nets for a couple of seasons and you can tell there's a lot about him. Special opportunity for him and it’s not surprising to see him come and performed as well as he has. He is a real competitor and got an amazing skill set to bowl at 150, which even on slow surfaces proving to be effective. Been a really valuable addition to the side,” Williamson was quoted as saying after the match.

Malik had minimal competitive experience prior to bowling in the IPL as he had just played 1 List A game and 1 T20 match for Jammu & Kashmir. Malik was a net bowler with SRH but he was included in the squad after T Natarajan was ruled out of IPL 2021 due to an injury. As far as the match is concerned, SRH beat RCB by 4 runs. Williamson was adjudged the player of the match for his amazing performance with the bat and on the field. 

Image: iplt20.com/BCCI