‘You just have to look at the form of the player’ - Brian Lara on Umran Malik’s exclusion from SRH's playing XI

Brian Lara, head coach of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), explained why the management opted to remove Umran Malik from the team's playing XI against the Gujarat Titans (GT). SRH and GT squared off in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) clash on Monday, May 15, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Aiden Markram-led side suffered a 34-run defeat, therefore ending their chances of qualifying for the IPL 2023 playoffs.

SRH competed against the defending champions without the Jammu & Kashmir speedster. Notably, he has not featured for the 2016 champions since April 29, when they met Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. However, a number of experts have questioned the decision to bench Malik, but the West Indies icon has defended the move.

During the post-match press conference, Lara stated that Malik has been out of form, which is why he was left out of the starting XI against GT. He also stated that the squad has big expectations for Umran. He did, however, admit that, in the end, the team must win every game, and that it depends solely on the form of the player that they consider before selecting the lineup.

“You just have to look at the form of the player. We have great expectations of Umran, and he has got Dale Steyn to work with. But we have to play each game to win. We have to put our best eleven out on the field. And now, with the Impact Player, our best 12. It’s strictly on the fact that it’s about the form of the player that we look at before picking the team," Lara said.

Umran Malik, who finished fourth in the IPL Purple Cap race last season, has played seven games in the IPL 2023 and picked up five wickets at an average of 35.20 and an economy rate of 10.35.

I can’t see anything wrong in terms of selection: Lara

Lara then pointed out another outstanding young pacer, Kartik Tyagi, who had only played one game this season. The 54-year-old said that he sees nothing wrong with the team's decisions, and that he believes the team isn't playing the game they're meant to be playing.

“We have 25 players, and I would have liked you to ask about Tyagi because he is also a special talent and he’s only had one opportunity so far. I can’t see anything wrong in terms of selection. I just feel that every time the team gets on to the park, we are not playing the game that we are supposed to," he added.