Indian fast bowler Umran Malik is preparing to make a comeback to competitive cricket in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament. Malik has been out of action due to several bouts with injuries but will be playing the last two games of SMAT for Jammu & Kashmir.
“I was suffering from a hamstring tear then I suffered from dengue but I have recovered. I have started bowling and running, I’ll be playing the last two matches of Syed Musthaq Ali T20 tournament and Vijay Hazare tournament,” Malik tells TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive chat.
The speedster had a forgettable few seasons in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and bowled just one over in the 2024 edition of the cash-rich league. His side played the final against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) but Malik was warming the bench.
He wasn’t retained by the 2024 runners-up and will be hoping to find a bidder in the mega auction on November 24 and 25. Malik has registered himself and kept a base price of Rs 75 lakh.
Malik has already played 10 One Day Internationals (ODIs) for India and has taken 13 wickets in nine innings, bowling 61 overs and conceding 399 runs. His best performance is 3 wickets for 57 runs. In eight Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) for the country, the speedster has bowled in all eight matches, taking 11 wickets and conceding 243 runs in 139 deliveries (23.1 overs). His best bowling figures are 3 wickets for 48 runs. In T20Is, he has an average of 22.09 and a strike rate of 12.6. His economy rate, however, is on the higher side at 10.48.
Even after setting speed guns on fire in the IPL, Malik has played only 26 matches where he has taken 29 wickets and conceded runs in excess of 9 every over.
