Good news @ 150 kmph umran malik’s ipl fireworks are another demonstration of sport’s power to unify

Good news @ 150 kmph umran malik’s ipl fireworks are another demonstration of sport’s power to unify

The one youngster who has taken this IPL by storm is Sunrisers Hyderabad speedster Umran Malik. The J&K-born 22-year-old has been turning heads and shattering stumps, picking up 15 wickets in the eight matches he has played so far in the tournament. What has wowed fans and seasoned cricketers alike is Malik’s sheer pace and accuracy. He has consistently bowled some of the fastest deliveries of the matches he has played, clocking speeds of 150 kmph and above. In fact, the recent match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans saw Malik bowl a scorching spell that delivered a five-wicket haul. The highlight was Malik’s 153 kmph yorker to a well-set Wriddhiman Saha that sent the stumps flying.

But what was truly heart-warming was the crowd at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium giving Malik a standing ovation at the end of his dream spell. Calls have been growing for Malik to be fast-tracked into the Indian team, with former batting great Sunil Gavaskar insisting that the speedster should play in the upcoming tour of England. This again goes to show that sports – particularly cricket in India – can transcend ethnicity, religion and politics of polarisation in ways that most other public activities can’t.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what your background is, once you don the Team India jersey, all divisions melt away. It’s also to the credit of BCCI that cricket in India has evolved into a strong market-driven sport. This has attracted youngsters, many of them trained in private cricket coaching centres across the country. And the IPL has certainly made a career in cricket financially viable. This is precisely why the son of a fruit-seller from Srinagar is today being hailed as the next big thing in Indian cricket. Plus, if Malik does make it to Team India he will inspire countless young people in J&K to take up the sport. That will certainly be a great Indian success story.