Aakash Chopra Expresses Concern Over Umran Malik’s Absence from Indian Squads

In a surprising turn of events, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has raised concerns about the absence of Umran Malik from all formats of the Indian cricket team. The fastest bowler in the history of Indian cricket, Umran Malik, has been noticeably excluded from the squad for the upcoming 3-match series against Afghanistan and was also left out of the India A squad facing England Lions ahead of the 5-match Test series against Ben Stokes’ side.

Chopra, in a video on his YouTube channel, expressed his apprehension about Umran Malik’s future, especially considering the pacer’s absence during the ongoing transition period in white-ball formats.

“Till some time back, Umran Malik was everywhere. We took him to the West Indies, and it seemed like he could be in the World Cup team too, but now he is not there in any of the teams. He doesn’t even get selected for India A,” remarked Chopra during his commentary on YouTube.

Umran Malik’s last appearance for India was in the West Indies tour, where he faced challenges on the field. Critics, including SunRisers Hyderabad bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan, have emphasized the need for the bowler to develop additional skills beyond raw pace to be effective in international cricket.

The young pacer gained attention during the 2022 Indian Premier League, where he picked up 22 wickets at an impressive strike rate of 13.41. Known for his raw pace and ability to hit the deck hard, Umran Malik, however, had limited opportunities in the 2023 season, featuring in 8 matches and securing 5 wickets at an economy rate of 10.85.

Chopra, in defense of the pacer, highlighted that Umran had received minimal chances with the Indian side, leading him to question the sudden disappearance of a player who had shown promise just a few months ago.

“What happened within three months that a guy first gets selected for the Indian team, gets very minimum chances there, and then goes totally missing? We don’t even know where Umran Malik is. Why isn’t he there? We should know why this is happening,” urged the former India cricketer.