Will pace sensation Umran Malik be able to revive his career?

When Sunrisers Hyderabad first thrust Umran Malik onto the IPL stage, Indian cricket seemed to have finally found what it had craved for years - a genuinely express fast bowler. Clocking 150 kmph for fun and intimidating batters with raw pace, Malik lit up IPL 2022, finishing with 22 wickets and becoming one of the most talked-about young bowlers in the country.

A few years later, the story has taken a sobering turn. Malik has slipped so far down the ladder that he was recently left out of Jammu & Kashmir’s Ranji Trophy squad. The fall feels sharper when you consider that the speedster has already played more international cricket than several current Indian stars such as Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Varun Chakaravarthy. Yet today, he finds himself on the fringes, battling both form and fitness.

After his breakout IPL season, Malik was fast-tracked into the Indian setup. Between ODIs and T20Is, he featured in 18 matches and made an immediate impact, picking up 21 wickets in his first 12 games. But the lack of control soon caught up with him. As batters learned to exploit his predictability, his returns dipped sharply — just three wickets in his next five appearances, including a lean run in ODIs.

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Then came the injuries, which only worsened matters. A bout of dengue was followed by a stress fracture in his left hip, ruling him out of IPL 2025. Even before that setback, his body had struggled to cope, limiting him to just one appearance in IPL 2024 - his final season with SRH. Despite these concerns, Kolkata Knight Riders took a punt, signing him for Rs 75 lakh and retaining him ahead of the current season.

As Malik now sets his sights on a fresh start with KKR in IPL 2026, the road back is clear but demanding. Raw speed alone is no longer enough. Control, adaptability and smarter execution have become non-negotiable.

That message has also come from one of the greatest fast bowlers of the modern era - Dale Steyn. The former South African great, who worked closely with Malik during his time at SRH in 2022 and 2023, recently shared his thoughts. Steyn offered a candid yet constructive assessment.

“Pace can be your friend as well as your biggest enemy,” Steyn said. “Umran needs to learn that he has more than one gear. Once he understands how to shift through different speeds on different surfaces, he’ll find his way back to where he belongs.”

The advice cuts to the heart of Malik’s struggle. While express pace is a rare and valuable asset, especially in Indian cricket, using it blindly can be counter-productive - particularly on flat Indian pitches in T20 cricket, where extra speed often helps the batter. Varying pace, reading conditions and knowing when to unleash the quick ball are skills Malik must now master.