Facing Umran Malik in nets is nightmare, I've got my chest guard on: Glenn Phillips

Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Glenn Phillips mentioned the raw pace that Umran Malik generates in the nets and explained how he had to protect himself with a chest guard to ensure safety. Malik created havoc against the Punjab Kings batting line-up with a four-wicket haul and bowled a brilliant final over to pick up three wickets without conceding a run. Malik was on a hat-trick after castling Rahul Chahar and Vaibhav Arora off two consecutive deliveries in the final over while Arshdeep Singh was run out off the final ball of the innings.

In the process, Malik registered his name in the IPL record books by becoming the fourth bowler in the IPL after Irfan Pathan, Lasith Malinga, and Jaydev Unadkat to not concede a single run in the 20th over. He finished with 4 for 28 in his four overs, including a maiden, and restricted the Punjab side to just 151 in the end which was chased down easily by SRH. The 22-year-old pacer from Jammu and Kashmir was adjudged the Player of the Match for his dream spell.

Umran Malik is absolutely rapid: Glenn Phillips

Glenn Phillips noted that facing Malik in the nets isn’t an easy task and he had got his chest guard to protect himself from getting hurt. He also wondered how it would be to face him during a match and stressed the importance of staying hydrated while bowling first. Also, Phillips felt that the field setting that Umran and Kane had, placing two fielders in the third man region, is a different option to counter the pace of the speedster as slips have been relatively ineffective for him.

“He’s absolutely rapid. Facing him in the nets is a nightmare. I’ve got my chest guard on to not get hurt. Imagine what those balls (in the game) will be feeling out there. When it comes to bowling first, we really have to keep hydrating as much as possible. The heat is really playing a big part. Hopefully, we keep them in check and he (Umran) keeps bowling at that pace,” Phillips said during the first innings of SRH vs PBKS game.

“Yeah, I think Kane and Umran have probably talked to each other and understood that having a slip in place is a waste at this point when Umran is bowling at that sort of pace. Having two men as the third man isn’t a bad option. It’s also a different thing that batters aren’t used to seeing,” he added.