Dilip Vengsarkar feels Umran Malik should've been a part of the World Cup squad

Umran Malik. (PC- Twitter)

Former Indian skipper Dilip Vengsarkar reckons that seamer Umran Malik should have been included in the T20 World Cup squad because of his express pace.

Umran shone in IPL 2022. While representing Sunrisers Hyderabad, the right-arm pacer picked up 22 wickets in 14 matches which included a 5-wicket haul. The Jammu and Kashmir young pacer consistently hit speeds in excess of 150 kph and was a vastly improved bowler than he was in IPL 2021. Working with Proteas legend Dale Steyn at SRH did help Umran, who attributed his IPL success to the bowling coach of SRH. In his short international career, Umran has played 3 T20I matches during India's tour of Ireland and England and picked up 2 wickets but the young pacer has been on the expensive side.

Vengsarkar on Umran Malik

Vengsarkar feels that this was the right time to pick the youngster as his sheer pace would have helped India immensely, especially on fast and bouncy Australian pitches.

"There is no out-of-the-box thinking. I would have picked Umran Malik because of his speed. He is a guy who is bowling 150kmph; you’ve got to pick him now, you can’t pick him when he becomes a 130kmph bowler,”

Although Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Shami will be heading to Australia with the team as travelling reserves, Vengsarkar highlighted their absence from the main squad along with Shubman Gill.

“Shreyas Iyer is in good form and he missed out. Mohammed Shami and Shubman Gill should also be on the team. I am impressed with Gill.” 

The former Indian selectors said that the 22-year-old should have been selected in the 2022 Asia Cup as well, in which Indian pacers, in particular, failed to deliver in Super four matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

“In Dubai, where the wicket was flat and grassless, where there was no bounce, you needed fast bowlers. If you had medium pacers, you would be tonked around. You needed fast bowlers who could beat the batters in pace,” 

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