Umran Malik has had a few bad years, where he was not only ousted from the Indian team, but was caught in the middle of injuries, that stalled his growth as a cricketer. He was picked by KKR last year for IPL but could not play due to an injury. Nonetheless, before the IPL auction 2026, he was retained by the team, and is on a comeback trail now.
Making Comeback After March 2024
In fact, despite these injuries, he doesn’t want to be a bowler who bowls in 130s. “Every fast bowler in the world knows that injuries are going to be a part of his career. But speed is my natural aspect. How can I compromise with that? Speed is my biggest strength, and I want to continue to maintain that strength,” Malik told ESPNcricinfo.
“You can’t bowl at 150(kph) straight away. You reach that speed gradually. I don’t want to show my speed to anyone, but I want to show my wickets. But it is also that after ten years [of bowling at a competitive level], I want to bowl at 140 [from 150] and not come down to a speed of 130 from 150.”
Money Not an Issue for Umran Malik
He added, that spending time at the CoE has brought more awareness about his own body, and that will help in better injury management. “After spending time at NCA [BCCI’s Centre of Excellence] and talking to many experts, I have started to understand my body better,” he said. “I now know what things need to be managed better if I want to avoid injury.”
Umran Malik made it clear, that IPL 2026 for him is just not about participation, but about performance as well. He reiterated, that money is not a concern. “I know that for many Indian fast bowlers, it is not that difficult to be part the IPL. It’s probably easy for me too, but I’m not just thinking of taking part in the tournament,” he said. “Money is not a concern. The first and last thing is that my fitness and form should be such that I play every match for the team and take wickets. If I can’t do this, then what will be my value as a player?
“I will work as hard as I have to. I will learn where I make mistakes. I will take care of myself and want to make my comeback memorable.”
