Sunrisers Hyderabad tearaway sensation Umran Malik has added another feather to his increasingly impressive CV. He clocked the fastest delivery of the ongoing 15th season against the Chennai Super Kings.
Malik delivered a 154 kmph fullish length delivery to Ruturaj Gaikwad in the 10th over of CSK’s innings, breaking the previously-held record for the fastest delivery this season by Lockie Ferguson (153.9).
However, Gaikwad was equal to the task and drilled the young fast bowler straight down the ground for a four.
It was one of the many strokes that Gaikwad, who hammered a picture-esque and brutal 57-ball 99, played against Malik.
The 22-year old seamer had a tough outing as he went wicketless in four costly overs that went for 48.
Nevertheless, this outing will be a good learning curve for the young man, who had already shown immense improvement in his short IPL career thus far.
He was at his imperious best in the last game against the Gujarat Titans, where the skiddy pacer married line and length with searing pace and accuracy to bamboozle the top and middle-order.
Malik claimed five wickets at the expense of just 25 runs in four overs, leaving everyone, including SRH’s bowling coach Dale Steyn wanting more.
Steyn has already tipped Umran to represent India in the distant future. One could easily spot a sense of glee in his eyes when his student was emulating his celebration style after knocking over batter’s stumps.
“Umran will play international cricket, no doubt about that. He bowls at 150kmph consistently, and nobody else is doing that in the world right now, maybe Lockie Ferguson is the other guy who does it, but they are very different bowlers. But from an Indian point of view, he is the only guy that consistently bowls over 145-150kmph every single ball, so he will play for India. But how India manages him is completely up to them,” Dale Steyn had told Sportstar.
Malik has thus far claimed 15 wickets in 9 games at an average of a shade under 20, and he will look to bounce back strongly after a tough outing against CSK.