Umran Malik is the, son of a fruit seller from Jammu and Kashmir, who had no idea of professional cricket till 2017.
Follow Us
For someone who never had an idea of professional cricket, till 2017, SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer Umran Malik from Jammu and Kashmir has made a substantial growth in his career. But pace aside, his line and length, is an area which still needs attention in order to become a complete fast bowler.
Malik, first, rose to fame after being named as a short-term Covid-19 replacement for SRH and India pacer T Natarajan in the Indian Premier League 2021. He went on to make his debut later that year and impressed by his express pace SRH decided to retain him ahead of the IPL mega auction and groom him further.
But Malik’s story has been nothing short of challenging.
READ MORE: IPL 2022 ticket prices ‘more expensive’ than 2022 FIFA World Cup
It was his 2017 that his fellow Jammu and Kashmir cricketer, Abdul Samad, who is also his best friend besides now being a teammate for SRH identified his potential and took him to coach Randhir Manhaas at the Maulana Azad Cricket Stadium in Jammu.
Malik had played only tennis ball cricket till then but Samad insisted the coach to have a look at his abilities.
“He used to come for a week, then, he will skip the training for the next three-four days. You can’t blame him, as even he didn’t know about his potential. One day I told him ‘Umran, you can play for India.’ For 10-15 seconds, he looked at me and started laughing. He replied, ‘Sir, are you serious.’ I gave him a firm look and didn’t say a word. He never missed a training session from then onwards,” Manhas told the Indian Express.
“For someone who started bowling with the leather ball just five years ago, cranking up 150 kph itself is a big achievement. He can certainly bowl quicker in the future, ” Manhas, who works as a coach at Maulana Azad Cricket Stadium in Jammu, said.
Malik has endured tough times while growing up as his father, a fruit seller, often found it difficult to make ends meet. But after showcasing his talent at the lucrative tournament most of his regular customers hardly bargain from him as Abdul believes that his son has become a household name in the country.
“From Abdul Rashid’s shop, it has become ‘Umran ke Papa ki dukaan.’ (Umran’s father’s shop),” Abdul said. “With this shop, I have managed to bring food to my family’s plates. Yes my son has become a household name across the country but that doesn’t mean that I will stop working.”
“He is now a son of India. Agar Allah ne chaha toh Hindustan ka naam raushan karega (With the grace of god, he will make India proud in the future,” says Rashid, who is offering Namaz ten times (five for his son) in a day during this Ramadan month.
His bowling ability has also earned him credentials from former England captain Michael Vaughan who believes that he can break into the Team India set up soon. And improving his abilities to take wickets regularly, after learning from South Africa great Dale Steyn, might well help him to do so.
