J&K pace sensation Umran Malik has made it to the list of Irfan Pathan Best XI of the IPL 2022.
Malik, who was also named the Emerging player of the season, impressed everyone with the ability to consistently clock deliveries at 150+ kmph.
Umran was quite a find this season. Jammu and Kashmiri pacer finished with 22 wickets for the season.
He became the youngest player to take 20-wickets in any IPL season. Umran Malik took his tally to 21 during a match-winning spell for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. He broke Jasprit Bumrah’s 2017 record. Umran Malik is 22 years and 176 days. Jasprit Bumrah was 23 years and 165 days old when he became the youngest bowler to pick up 20 wickets in IPL 2017. RP Singh was 23 years and 166 days old when he took 20 wickets in IPL 2009. Likewise, Pragyan Ojha was 23 years and 225 days old when he achieved the milestone in IPL 2010
J&K-born pacer Umran Malik broke another IPL record after bowling a maiden 20th over and picking up three wickets against Punjab Kings.
Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad player became only fourth bowler in IPL history to bowl a maiden 20th over. Irfan Pathan, Lasith Malinga, and Jaydev Unadkat had achieved the feat.
Malik, who Sunrisers Hyderabad retained for IPL 2022, is already one of the fastest bowlers in India. However, though he has sent down deliveries over 150kmph this season, the Jammu and Kashmir player has picked up only three wickets this season in four matches, conceding at 10.42 runs an over.
SRH retained him for Rs 4 crore along with captain Kane Williamson and all-rounder Abdul Samad, also from Jammu and Kashmir.
Pathan’s lineup starts with Jos Buttler and KL Rahul in the opening slot. While the former, being a part of the Rajasthan Royals, finished with 863 runs in the season with four centuries and four half-centuries to his name, the latter finished with 616 runs, which included two centuries and four half-centuries. Both the players performed in the playoff stage, with Buttler making it to the finals with RR.
Pathan chose Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson for the No. 3 spot. Samson led his side into the finals of the IPL 2022, the first time the team entered the finals since the inaugural season. Samson’s composure with the bat was something to look out for this season, and though he managed to score only two half-centuries in 17 games, he played some crucial knocks accounting for the team’s victory.
Pathan’s middle-order batters include the IPL 2022 winning skipper Hardik Pandya, followed by Punjab Kings’ and GT’s prolific power-hitters Liam Livingstone and David Miller respectively. While Pandya was successful in leading his side to their maiden IPL title in their first-ever outing of the league, he was also a crucial all-rounder as he marked his return with the ball. Livingstone and Miller were the saviors for their team as they came out to bat when the side needed someone to anchor the innings and play the finisher’s role.
Pathan included two bowling all-rounders in his XI in the form of GT vice-captain Rashid Khan and Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Harshal Patel. Rashid ended up with 19 wickets this season in 16 matches, whereas Patel scalped the same number of wickets in 15 games. The spinner had a better economy, 6.60 as compared to Patel’s 7.66 this season, and both hold the ability to provide their team with the crucial wickets.
On the other hand, Irfan Pathan’s Best XI of IPL 2022: Jos Buttler, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (c), Liam Livingstone, David Miller, Rashid Khan, Harshal Patel, Mohammad Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umran Malik (12th Man- Kuldeep Yadav).
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