"If I Bowl Only Two Overs...": Umran Malik Sends Message To Critics Amid Questions Over Form And Pace

The Indian Premier League 2023 season hasn't seen the Umran Malik that fans wanted. The express pacer didn't impress the way he did last season for Sunrisers Hyderabad, owing to inconsistent shows, coupled with a dip in bowling speed as well. Ahead of the Sunriers' final league game of the season against Mumbai Indians, Umran was asked about his views on the way this season went for him. The young speedster said that he didn't get to bowl as consistently as he did last season for the franchise.

"Last year, I played all games and bowled all overs. This time, I bowled less overs and took 5 wickets only. When I wasn't playing, I was putting on the hard work. I hope to perform better today (against MI)," Umran told Murali Kartik ahead of the game against MI.

When Kartik pointed out that Umran's pace has also not been as fiery as it was last season, the pacer from Jammu & Kashmir argued that he has only been bowling a couple of overs this season which isn't enough for him to warm up.

"I don't think my pace is impacted. If I bowl only two overs... I also need some overs to heat up my batteries and get that pace up. I'm trying to bowl the right lines with good speed, and with some variations.

"When the team needs wickets, I target wickets. Otherwise, I try to curb the flow of runs," Umran added.

In the match, Umran bowled three overs, conceding a whopping 41 runs without picking a single wicket. While there's no denying the talent that Umran has, there's still plenty of work that needs to be done before he fulfills the potential people see in him.