SRH's handling of Umran Malik has left plenty to be desired

Before the 2022 edition of the IPL, Umran Malik was one of three players the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) retained, alongside then-captain Kane Williamson and Abdul Samad.

That, for a young, tearaway quick who had not played much international or IPL cricket, was a glowing assessment. It was also a message to the rest of the league that they trusted Umran, and that they were willing to invest in him.

Even at that time, there was a consensus across the nation that he was the fastest bowler in India, and that he was possibly the quickest pacer to have ever emerged from these shores.

High speed, of course, makes things happen, and it makes even the average onlooker sit up and take notice. At times, though, it leads to increased scrutiny, especially in the shortest format, for pace could travel the distance just as frequently as sending stumps cartwheeling.

In 2022, when the IPL was held entirely in Maharashtra, there were signs that Umran was shedding the ‘raw speedster’ tag and was finding what would work well for him in the T20 landscape.

There were occasions when he leaked runs but it was largely followed by either a jaw-dropping burst of searing pace or, like it once happened at the Wankhede Stadium against the Gujarat Titans (GT), a five-wicket haul that reverberated across the country and the globe.

2023, thus, was supposed to be this season where Umran would put together more consistent displays for SRH, and perhaps even lead them to playoff qualification. It has not quite gone to plan, though, both for the youngster and SRH.

Umran Malik has played just seven games for SRH this season

As things stand, SRH are embroiled in a battle with the Delhi Capitals (DC) to avoid the wooden spoon. Umran has played all of seven games, bowled 17 overs, and roughly averaged a little more than two overs per match. He has only picked up five wickets, and his economy rate is also north of 10.

The initial and easy assessment, hence, would be to say that Umran has just not turned up in IPL 2023 and that he needed to be dropped for the good of the team. But cricket is not as black-and-white, especially when talking about a youngster as talented as Umran, and a bowler as rapid as him.

What makes this entire sequence even more perplexing is the way Aiden Markram responded at the toss before SRH’s fixture against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

When quizzed about the speedster’s absence, Markram said that he was not sure what was happening behind the scenes with Umran. This, for context, is an overseas pro who had been named SRH captain long back. If he, despite leading them throughout the season, has no idea what is happening to one of those who was supposed to be his first-choice bowler, then something is utterly broken.

SRH have not entirely covered themselves in glory lately when it comes to handling players. They had that famous fallout with David Warner in 2021, which led to him not being retained. Rashid Khan was, rather inexplicably, allowed to leave for Gujarat. Williamson, who was their skipper in 2022, was also discarded ahead of this IPL campaign.

So, this is not something that is very alien to the franchise. What is different this time, though, is the long-lasting impact it could have on Umran. All of the others mentioned above are pedigreed international cricketers who know their worth. Umran is still very much a greenhorn, and someone trying to figure out how valuable he actually is.

Most of these problems would not have arisen altogether had Umran been as good as he can be. It must be remembered, however, that he is still only 24 years old. That he performs probably the toughest gig in this sport (bowling fast) means that he is prone to more ups and downs.

Even captains and teams might be unsure of how to exactly handle him, both on the field and off it because players of such ilk do not come around very often. And because he is such a special talent, a slightly different lens must also be used to gauge him.

After all, while trying to make sense of the speedster’s exclusion, Markram did admit that the Indian youngster had that X-Factor of bowling more than 150 kmph. For Markram to quip something like that, coming from a country where bowling quick is not as rare as it has historically been in India, says a lot.

This is not implying that Umran would have single-handedly ensured qualification for SRH, or if he had played a chunk of their matches, SRH would have definitely qualified. Had he played, though, he would certainly not have been questioning himself and his abilities as much as he is probably doing now.

With all that has transpired, the last thing Indian cricket wants is for Umran to think that he needs to compromise on his pace and not be himself. If that materializes, not just SRH, but India would also lose a gem.

Of course, he is nowhere near the finished product. But he needs care, an arm around his shoulder, and a voice in his ear telling him that he has to bowl as fast as he can and that whatever maturity he is seemingly lacking now, will come about eventually.

That certainly will not happen if he keeps warming the bench. And most certainly will not happen if he keeps getting discarded at the drop of a hat. There was a reason SRH saw him as one of their three retentions amid all the turmoil.

Seven games, especially in an IPL season where the runs have flowed, are just not enough to override that assessment.