ENG vs IND 2022: He is very much in our plans – Rohit Sharma on Umran Malik ahead of T20I series

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has revealed that Umran Malik is very much in their plans for the T20 World Cup and they want to give opportunities to the youngster. Malik recently made his debut against Ireland but he conceded 14 runs in the solitary over he bowled in his maiden game.

Subsequently, the fast bowler scalped his first wicket in International cricket in the second T20I against the Irish team. Furthermore, Malik was given the responsibility of defending 17 runs in the final over by skipper Hardik Pandya and the fast bowler was able to keep his nerves in the end.

The 22-year-old from Jammu and Kashmir had hogged the limelight in the Tata IPL 2022 while playing for SunRisers Hyderabad as he impressed with his raw pace. Malik bowled consistently above 145 km/h and breathed down the neck of the opposition batters with his extra pace.

The young gun fast bowler scalped 22 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 20.18 and an economy rate of 9.01. Malik grew in confidence after playing under the tutelage of bowling coach Dale Steyn and he received his maiden call-up to the Indian squad after his impressive show in the IPL.

Rohit Sharma said in the pre-match press conference, “He is very much in our plans. We are trying to give him an understanding as to what the team requires from him as well. Yes, there will be times when we want to try out a few guys and Umran is definitely one of those guys.”

“Keeping one eye on the World Cup, we want to see what he has to offer for us. He is definitely an exciting prospect. During the IPL, we saw that he could bowl fast. It’s about giving him the role, whether we want him to bowl with the new ball or want to use him in the middle overs.”

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma feels the players play different roles for their respective franchises in the IPL while the role for the national team can be different.

“When you play for a franchisee, the roles are different as compared to your national team. There are guys with specific skillets and you want to utilize those. It’s about understanding how you can fit in those individuals and give them the clarity of role.”

India and England will play the first T20I at Rose Bowl, Southampton on Thursday.