Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders are considering bidding for the fast bowler Umran Malik in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Malik is currently a part of Sunrisers Hyderabad but is unlikely to be on the list of retained players for SRH.
Umran was surprisingly retained by Suniesers Hyderabad ahead of the IPL 2022 season when two new teams, Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, joined the league. He was retained alongside his Jammu & Kashmir teammate Abdul Samad.
However, Umran’s no. of games has constantly reduced with every season. In IPL 2022, he played 14 matches for SRH. In the next year, he got a chance to play in 8 matches. But in IPL 2024, he played just a solitary game in SRH’s run to the final.
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KKR eyes signing Umran Malik in the upcoming mega auction
According to RevSportz, Kolkata Knight Riders are planning to make a significant bid for Umran Malik in the IPL 2025 mega auction if he is available. SRH are unlikely to have him on their list of retained players given his recent performances for the franchise.
🚨📰| Kolkata Knight Riders are considering a potential bid for Umran Malik if he is available during the auction.
-RevSportz. pic.twitter.com/c0AhSnTB2V— KKR Vibe (@KnightsVibe) October 12, 2024
However, SRH will have a chance to get him back into the squad through the Right to Match (RTM) rule. If Umran moves to Kolkata Knight Riders, it will be only his second IPL team after Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Umran Malik’s IPL numbers
The 24-year-old fast bowler made his IPL debut in the 2021 season in which he picked up 2 wickets in 3 matches but impressed everyone with his high pace. Being a fast bowler of that speed is rare in India which is the reason why he got into the limelight after just a few games.
Despite being a fast bowler, his inability to control his line and length led to him being a bowler with a high economy rate. Malik has played 26 matches in his IPL career in which he has picked up 29 wickets at an average of 26.62 an economy rate of 9.40.
He was retained by SRH for the next season as the franchise showed its full faith in the youngster. However, his performance kept on dropping and as a result, he lagged in the race.
Umran Malik in international cricket
Umran Malik can bowl at around 150 kph consistently. As a result, he was fast-tracked into the Indian team for white-ball cricket. He has played 10 ODIs for India and picked up 13 wickets. The youngster has also played 8 T20Is and picked up 11 wickets at an average of 22.09.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders will be aiming to build another solid team in the upcoming mega auction. They already have the likes of Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, and Chetan Sakariya in their squad. While Rana is sure to be retained, it remains to be seen whether the franchise retains the other fast bowlers or not.
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