[Exclusive] Wish to play all the games and pick 20-25 wickets in the next IPL season: Umran Malik

Fiery Indian pacer Umran Malik, who hails from Jammu & Kashmir, is currently at a crucial point in his cricket career. Once the talk of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2022, Malik has experienced both ups and downs in his professional career.

After a breakthrough season in 2022 where he became the fourth-highest wicket-taker, the pacer went on to make his debut for the national side in white-ball in the same year and has so far featured in 10 ODIs, taking 13 wickets, and 8 T20Is with 11 wickets. 

After that year Malik's performance declined. In the subsequent two years, he played just nine matches, taking just five wickets at an economy rate of 10.57 runs per over. Despite his franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad, reaching the IPL 2024 final, Malik played one game, bowling just one over throughout the tournament. With the mega auction approaching on November 24 and 25, Malik has registered himself with a base price of INR 75 lakh and is hoping to once again impress everyone with his lightning pace.

In an exclusive conversation with CricTracker, the 25-year-old discussed his views on Jammu & Kashmir cricket and local talent. He also spoke about his injury and his preparations for making a comeback. The speedster talked about his best moments in the IPL and the pressure leading up to the mega-auction.

Excerpts

1. How did you see the craze of Cricket in your state, Jammu & Kashmir and how has the cricketing structure evolved in the state over the years?

It has become better than before, 3-4 grounds have been made and more practice areas have been created. More youngsters are coming up with our team doing well in the domestic circuits. Our board has been very helpful and youngsters are also getting the motivation to do well for the state. I hope more players from my state go on to play at bigger levels. 

2. How have former players like Irfan Pathan helped the young crop of players from Jammu & Kashmir and have you gotten a chance to speak to him?

Yes, I have also spent time with me, he has been very helpful for the state team. He was the mentor of our state teams and because of him a lot of youngsters have got the boost to play better.

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3. How do you manage pressure during the process of bidding in IPL auctions and how have you managed with it before and will do it now?

The pressure is always there. Everyone will have some amount of pressure. I just hope that I get to be part of a good team and get to play all the matches. Wherever I go I hope to play every game and perform well for the respective team. I also wish to pick 20-25 wickets in the season and come up with a good performance. 

4. Do you watch the IPL auction?

I will watch the auction. I will have to watch it.

5. If given a chance which IPL captain would you wish to play under and can get the best performance out of you?

I just want to play cricket. Whichever team I go to, I just want to play all the games perform well for the team and myself, and make sure I return to the Indian team soon.

6. You have developed the skill of outswingers in your bowling, how do you feel this skillset will help you in big tournaments? 

Ahead of the injury, when I was practicing well, I was bowling outswing deliveries and I was trying inswingers I am making sure to add more variations to my bowling which I need. Now my injury is also fine and I have started bowling, hopefully, I will be back on the field and playing.

7. How did you touch the 145 kmph mark consistently?

No this is natural, I train hard for this, and I try to eat and sleep well. So I keep working hard and it is nice when people tell me that I bowl at such a pace and pick wickets. 

8. Which is that one piece of advice that has stayed with you from any former player or family and it is still helping you?

One person told me to focus on Cricket. Because many after some time stop working hard. I am not one of those, I need hard work in the game every day. If we put in the efforts regularly then only we will move up otherwise we won't. And I will keep working hard till I play.

8. What is your most memorable moment in IPL?

One was when I picked five wickets against Gujarat Titans and another one was when I had just given two runs in the 18th over while bowling to Andre Russell. I have many more moments while playing for India.

9.  Who is the most supportive teammate?

Abdul Samad helps me a lot in the state team and IPL. In the Indian team, Arshdeep Singh also helps me. We both talk a lot about bowling and how can we improve and make sure to help each other.

10. Fast bowlers have always been prone to injuries, and you have gone through the same. So how is the mental space after you return from a prolonged injury which makes you miss out on action for a long time?

We fast bowlers have practiced enough in the past, so our confidence is always high. If our confidence is low then it will work against us. It's all about confidence and we make sure to come back on the same routine post an injury. So since I am coming back from injury, I am practicing the same routine, and I am making sure to come back to the games as soon as possible. 

11. Do you feel when pacers come back from an injury, their pace goes down as the back of their mind they feel the injury might get triggered?

Yes the thought does click in, but it depends on your build-up before the games. So now I am making sure to bowl a lot so that it doesn't worry me when I am playing a match.

12. Which is your favorite format to play?

All three formats are my favorite, I want to play in all three for India.

13. Who do you enjoy bowling against?

I love bowling to Shahbaz Ahmed. It's always fun to bowl to him cause he talks a lot and then I irritate him by getting his wicket.

14. Which is your favorite Cricket Stadium?

Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is my favorite because I got my five wickets in that venue.

15. One cricketing moment you will forever remember?

I think when I was picked in the IPL. I was a net bowler and I was going back home but the association people told me that I had been picked.