"There is no need to change his style" - Virat Kohli's childhood coach on how India need to handle Umran Malik
Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar recently stated that tearaway pacer Umran Malik could prove to be an invaluable asset to the Indian team this year.
Speaking to India News Sports, Sharma pointed out that it is important for the team management to groom Umran. He emphasized that the speedster is a wicket-taker who can achieve great success if handled well.
The veteran coach pointed out that there will be occasions where Umran could prove costly at times, but it is important to persist with him as he has great potential. He suggested that the right-arm seamer could easily dismiss the tailenders due to his pace, an area where the Indian team has struggled lately.
Sharma explained:
"Umran Malik has raw pace. He has a great physique along with an ideal run-up. He checks all the boxes and just needs to be groomed. The team management and the captain should give him confidence. It will be important to use him well, given that there are chances that he might leak runs at times because of his express pace.
"There is no need to change his style. You just need to let him bowl according to his strength. He could prove to be a wicket-taker for India. We have struggled to run through the tail, and having a bowler who can bowl at this pace is surely going to help solve that problem."
Umran will next be seen in action during India's forthcoming home series against Sri Lanka. He has been named in the squads for both the T20I and ODI matches.
The opening encounter of the T20I series will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3. Hardik Pandya will lead the Men in Blue in the T20I games, while regular skipper Rohit Sharma will return to captain the team for the 50-over matches.
"This year will be a very important one for Umran Malik" - Saba Karim
During the same discussion, former Indian keeper-batter Saba Karim also echoed the same sentiments, predicting a bright future for Umran Malik.
He claimed that this year is going to be crucial for Umran, as he could carve a niche for himself in India's star-studded lineup by making the most of his chances. Karim opined that if the youngster is able to remain fit, it is going to benefit Rohit Sharma and Co. significantly.
The 55-year-old said:
"This year will be a very important one for Umran Malik. If he is able to keep himself fit, and if his learning process continues like this, it will be very good for Indian cricket."
1️⃣5️⃣1️⃣ kmph from Umran Malik to get the better of Najmul Shanto 🔥🔥
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Umran replaced the injured Mohammed Shami in India's squad for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh in December last year. He featured in two matches and bagged four wickets at an economy rate of 5.61.