Stats: SRH speedster Umran Malik becomes fourth bowler to deliver a maiden in the 20th over in IPL

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer Umran Malik became the fourth bowler to bowl a maiden in the 20^th over in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday (April 17). The fiery seam bowler also took three wickets of Odean Smith, Rahul Chahar, and Vaibhav Arora in the final over of the first innings against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 28 of IPL 2022 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. His spell helped SRH in bundling out PBKS for just 151 runs in the 20 overs. Malik joined three other bowlers on this elite list of not conceding a single run in the last over.

Irfan Pathan was the first bowler to achieve this special milestone in the inaugural season in 2008. Playing for PBKS, Pathan delivered a maiden against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the second innings of the match in Mohali. The left-arm pacer bowled six consecutive dot balls to Ashish Nehra to win the match for his side by 66 runs. Former MI fast bowler and yorker specialist Lasith Malinga was the second one to register this feat. He bowled a double-wicket maiden against Deccan Chargers in Durban in the year 2009.

Another pacer Jaydev Unadkat occupies the penultimate position in this chart as he became the third bowler to script the remarkable feat. Playing for the now-defunct franchise Rising Pune Supergiants, Unadkat delivered a terrific hat-trick maiden against SRH in Hyderabad in the 2017 edition. The left-arm bowler took three wickets on three successive deliveries in the second innings to win the match for his team by 12 runs.

Bowlers to deliver a maiden in the 20^th over in the IPL:

The lethal pace bowler who regularly clocks 150kph, Umran Malik recorded his best bowling figures of 4/28 against PBKS in the IPL. His previous best was 2/27 against Kolkata Knight Riders in this edition itself. The Srinagar-born Malik who was one of three players retained by SRH ahead of the mega action 2022, has now taken 11 wickets in his short nine-match career in the IPL at an average of 27.00.

The fast bowler has taken the 2022 IPL edition by storm with his devastating and deadly pace. In the ongoing season, he has snared nine scalps in six games at an average of 22.33 and a strike-rate of 14.6. The speedster from Jammu & Kashmir is receiving a lot of praise from all the cricketing pundits and fans for his express speed. Notably, the 22-year-old Malik also became the second bowler after Harbhajan Singh to script two caught and bowled dismissals in an IPL match.