BCCI announced an 18-man squad for the five-match home series against South Africa on Sunday night and there was one selection which grabbed most of the headlines. Umran Malik earned his maiden India call-up. The 22-year-old star has been the cynosure through the ongoing 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) following his impressive show and veteran cricketers, impressed with his performance, has all backed him for a spot in the Indian team. Reacting to the big news, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly reserved the ultimate praise for the youngster.
Sunrisers Hyderabad pace sensation Umran Malik has been one of the finds of the 15th season of the cash-rich league. He has impressed the selectors not just with his raw pace, clocking consistently over 150 kph, but also with his wicket-taking abilities. In 14 games this season, he has picked 22 wickets for SRH at a strike rate of just 13.57 and an economy rate of 9.03.
Speaking on the sidelines of a promotional event on Tuesday, the former India captain was full of praise for Umran.
“His future is in hands. If he stays fit and bowls at this pace, I’m sure he will be around for a long time,” he said.
The South Africa T20I series will begin from June 9 in New Delhi and will be a five-match affair. This T20I series will be followed by a two-match contest in Ireland, a three-match series in England and a rescheduled fifth Test in July.
Ganguly also named three other batters and four bowlers who have impressed him the most in this IPL 2022.
“Many have played well in this IPL. Tilak (Varma) has done well for MI. Rahul (Tripathi) for Sunrisers, Tewatia for GT.
“We have seen many emerging fast bowlers like Malik, Mohsin Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan… It’s a place where talent gets exposure,” he added.