Umran Malik fans on Twitter were left infuriated after the Jammu express didn't find a place in the playing XI vs South Africa in 1st T20I.
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India are hosting South Africa in the first of five-match T20I series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Thursday. The young Indian line-up, devoid of their stalwarts like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, will bank and rely on a young side led by stand-in captain Rishabh Pant in the series. However, the opening encounter, also saw the returns of veterans Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik in the set-up to add depth to their batting line-up.
The hosts line-up for the 1st T20I also saw veteran India fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar and rising pacer Avesh Khan included in the playing XI. However, Jammu express Umran Malik, who impressed with his pace in the IPL 2022 for SRH was missing from the Indian line-up which left his fans infuriated and questioning the selection. One of the fans also pointed out that ‘he bowled at 163.7 kmph at the nets, days before the first match.
“We just have to see how much playing time we will be able to give him. We have a big squad, not possible to have everyone in the playing XI,” Dravid was categorical when asked about the ‘Jammu Express’ at the press conference. “I am someone who likes consistency and give people time to settle in. Arshadeep has also done well, who is also an exciting player, who bowls well. He is exciting, certainly bowls quick and has pace. Another exciting thing in the IPL for me was to see the Indian players bowl really fast. The more he plays the better he gets. Very happy to have him in the mix. As a coach I would love to see it translate to the longer format of the game”.
