Umran Malik is the perfect example of how to make rare and important moments of your life count. Making his debut during SunRisers Hyderabad’s final match of the 2021 season of the Indian Premier League, he knew that this might be the only opportunity he would get to be noticed on the big stage, and he made the most out of it.

Bowling the fastest delivery of the ongoing season recorded at 153 kmph, the 21-year old not only scalped an important wicket against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Srikar Bharat but also proved that he could bowl these lightening-fast deliveries at a consistent rate as he went over the 150kmph mark over six times in just one match.

It is rather incredible how Malik got to make his debut. The SunRisers Hyderabad, which is known to pick some of the rarest gems of domestic cricket, knew that they were already out of playoff contention. Which is why they decided to give their regular bowlers a breather and make their benched players see some game-time action.

Whatever the circumstances under which Umran made his IPL debut, for his father, Abdul Malik, it didn’t matter one bit. He was simply overjoyed about the fact that he got to see his son on the television, doing the only thing he had dedicated all his life to and that too on foreign soil, no less.

It isn’t common to see players from Jammu and Kashmir make it big in the Indian cricket circuit, especially when they do not have the money to travel to the bigger cities for trials, or when they have to depend on their daily wages to find out how much food they will be able to afford the next day. All these things meant nothing to his father.

In a conversation with India Today, the speedster’s dad relived all the hardships that he had to go through in order to help his son follow his dream. However, every struggle got its money’s worth as soon as Umran got to wear the SRH jersey and represent his franchise against the biggest names in the game.

“My son got inclined to cricket when he was just 3 years old. He always dreamt of becoming a professional cricketer. We were so happy when he was picked up in the playing XI by Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday,” said Abdul. 

“We were glued to the TV and there were tears of joy in my and my wife’s eyes. My son has worked very hard. We always supported him. We hope that one day he plays for Team India,” he added.

“It is not an ordinary achievement for us. We are from a poor family. I sell vegetables and fruits to make a living. My son has made me proud. Our joy knows no bounds. Even Lt Governor Sahib has congratulated us. I pray to [the] Almighty that my son continues to excel in his career,” he concluded.

View the full article