'My mother would say, 'khel, tod'': Umran Malik on how his mother encouraged him to bowl fast

Umran Malik turned heads with his pace in the IPL and it may have been the support of his family, particularly his mother, that helped him develop the love for bowling fast.

The 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) was characterised by young Indian fast bowlers taking centre stage and Sunrisers Hyderabad's Umran Malik perhaps generated the biggest buzz of them all due to his searing pace. Umran, 22, regularly bowled at speeds above 150kmph and tended to be unplayable on occasions when he was on song.

Umran is part of the Indian squad for the series against South Africa.  (PTI)

Umran has said that it was the support his family, particularly his mother, that has allowed him develop the love for bowling fast.

“I loved fast bowling from the beginning,” Umran told the Indian Express.

“When I was young, I would play with a plastic ball at home and would get scolded for breaking glass windows. But even then, my mother would not stop me from playing and would say, ‘khel, tod’ (Play, break),” he said.

Umran has been backed by many to make his debut for India in the upcoming T20I series against South Africa. He is one of a number of new players in the squad with the likes of captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah sitting out.

Umran said that even if he ends up becoming a regular in the Indian team, his father won't stop the family business of selling fruits.

“That is our family business since the past 70 years,” he said.

“My grandfather, father, and uncle have been working on it. It is not that if I am playing for India, my father will stop working. My father always tells me that we will remain where we have risen from. I come from an average family. I feel very happy that I have made my father proud.”