Express pacer Umran Malik has started dreaming of wearing India colours again after coming back from an injury break. He trusts his natural pace to cross the 150 kmph mark and the new skills he has added, like slower balls and a sharper yorker.

Malik has been away from the Indian team since July 2023 for many reasons, even after taking 24 wickets in 10 ODIs and 8 T20Is. But these setbacks have not broken his confidence.

“Let me tell you one thing. Bowlers who bowl at 150 are not just strike bowlers; they are attacking bowlers. They may give 30 runs in four overs, but they will also take wickets. A fast bowler should know what he needs to do,” Umran told select media after J&K's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh on Friday.

Also Read -BCCI Plans To Advise Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli To Play Vijay Hazare Trophy: Report

Umran on His Pace and Confidence

“A bowler who bowls at 150 knows he is a king and he must back himself. Not everyone can bowl at 150 kph. It takes real courage, and I have been doing it for the last five years,” Umran said.

He added that this kind of speed cannot be achieved only with hard work.

“Bowling 150 kph is an art. You cannot jump from 137 to 145 suddenly. You can train as much as you want, but a part of it is natural. You must train well, eat well, rest well and keep your body fresh for the next day.

“Speed is natural for me. How can I reduce it? Training, running, cardio — all must be maintained. There is no special diet. Pace is my strength, and I need to get it back.”

I will come back to the India team. I have confidence in myself because I am the only one who bowls at 150.

- Umran Malik 🎙️ (TOI) pic.twitter.com/9VPbFGGYz1

— KKR Karavan (@KkrKaravan) November 28, 2025

‘I Am the Only One Who Bowls 150’

Umran, who touched 156.7 kph in IPL 2024 but has since faced injuries and illness, said he never doubted himself.

“I never feel mentally low. I know I will do well and return to the India team. I trust myself because I am the only one who bowls at 150. But now I am also working on slower balls and yorkers. I am doing this in red-ball cricket too.

“The rest depends on the selectors. I am doing better now. Playing for India again is my aim.” He said competition in Indian fast bowling has always been high, but it doesn’t worry him.

“When I take wickets and stay fit, why won’t they pick me? They will pick me if I perform. That’s all.”

Small Goals for Now

The 26-year-old said his short-term target is simple: to be the top wicket-taker for J&K in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

“I want to play all matches for my state and become the highest wicket-taker. I already have five wickets from two games, including 3/37 against UP,” he said.

Injuries are common for someone who bowls at high pace, but Umran said they helped him understand his body better.

“Anyone can get injured. You just have to know how to come out of it. I never fear for my career. I only think about what I must do the next day—training, bowling, batting, fielding. Everything is in God’s hands.”

Umran missed the entire 2024–25 domestic season and IPL 2025 due to recurring issues. He trained at the BCCI Centre of Excellence and also worked with Abhishek Nayar. After nearly 17 months, he returned to competitive cricket in the Ranji Trophy.

He stayed positive during this phase.

“If your mindset is stable, you perform better after injury. It feels good now because the ball is coming out nicely. Injury teaches you many things — mindset, body, routines. In a long career, injuries are normal. You must stay with positive people and avoid negative ones.”

Ready for All Formats

Umran brushed aside talk that he might lose speed with age.

“You cannot bowl 150 directly. You start with 138, 140, 142. As long as I play, I want to stay positive. I don’t want to show pace; I want to show wickets. Even after 10 years, if I bowl 150 to 140, it’s fine. I will never drop to 135 or 130.”

He ended by saying, “There is nothing different in red-ball cricket. Yes, I am ready to play all formats.”

November 22, 1999—birthday of Indian pace star Umran Malik,  who emerged as an exceptionally talented bowler from Jammu and Kashmir. Malik quickly gained fame because of his raw pace.

During the IPL 2022 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad, the pacer clocked 156.9 kph. Malik went under the limelight from a very humble background. He was a product of tennis cricket. Even at one stage, he was not aware of boots with spikes professional cricketers use during matches. The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise first spotted the talent and offered him the chance to show what he could do.

The fast bowler came into the SRH squad during the IPL 2021 season as the replacement for injured T. Natarajan. In that season, Malik, who was not a very popular face in Indian cricket, got a very limited number of matches, but enough for him to display his talent and potential. Ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, the club retained him for another season, as he was able to take a couple of wickets in 3 matches in the previous season.

Read More : Proteas suffer major setback with star pacer ruled out ahead of IND vs SA 2nd Test

Umran Malik quickly made India debut after a stellar IPL season 

IPL 2022 was the season when the seamer showed his actual potential. In that campaign, he bowled supremely well. In 14 matches, he got 22 wickets at an economy rate of 9.03, including 5 for 25 against Gujarat Titans in a losing cause. In this game, four out of five were bowled, and the other was beaten for pace by a bouncer. He clocked 156.9 kph during the tournament.

After the eye-catching performance throughout the tournament, he made his T20I and ODI debuts for Team India. But repeated injury and fitness concerns quickly derailed the luxury pacer's career path. After the Team India debut, he perhaps also got to learn that only raw pace is not enough for creating a long, successful career. 

Umran Malik made a strong comeback after a long injury layoff. Against Odisha, the Jammu and Kashmir cricketer claimed a brace in quick succession. Malik quickly went under the spotlight because of his express speed.

In IPL 2022, the speed star clocked at 156.9 kph during a delivery. But his thunderous form was discounted due to injury concerns. Before the Buchi Babu Tournament, he last played top-flight cricket during the 2024 season. To make himself again available for competitive matches, Umran spent around 6 months in BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru for rehabilitation. During the J&K vs Odisha match of the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament, he first clean bowled Odisha opener OM T Munde.

A fast-paced delivery with the mixture of inswingers knocked down the stumps. Only after a few moments, the pacer took opposition captain Subhranshu Senapati. He had to go back to the pavilion because of an inside edge. Malik finished his spell with 2/35. The right-handed seamer is now confident to make his presence strongly felt in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season as well.

⚡ Umran Malik back in action, bags 2 Wickets in his first Spell. ⚡pic.twitter.com/VZqVn2UH9A

— KKR Vibe (@KnightsVibe) August 26, 2025

Read More: ‘Fingers crossed, feeling really well….’- Suryakumar Yadav shares major fitness update before Asia Cup

He missed entire IPL 2025 entirely for injury 

The return of Umran Malik in domestic cricket is encouraging news for Kolkata Knight Riders fans. This was Umran's first appearance since March 2024, when he played for SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Mumbai Indians in the IPL. After his stint with SRH, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) crashed in for the fast bowler. Though, he ruled out of IPL 2025 because of injury reasons. In his stint with SRH from 2021 to 2024, Umran took 29 wickets in 26 matches at an average of 26.62 and an economy rate of 9.39. 

For Team India, after making his international debut in 2022, he took 13 wickets from 10 ODIs at 30.69. 

Since the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, there are many questions on the future of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ pacer, Umran Malik, who didn’t feature in the last season due to injury, exploring the pace bowling department of the side, where they were needed to make several last minute changes. Malik impressed the fans and coaches during the IPL 2022 with his aggressive pace for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

However, a recent video has gone viral in which he was seen to have fully recovered from the issues. The KKR pacer is also back in the field, currently featuring in the T20 trial games in Srinagar. There are expectations of the fast bowler getting fully fit and ready to go before the upcoming domestic season for Jammu and Kashmir.

SEE ALSO: 'If I wasn’t working with him...' - Virat Kohli drops huge remark on Ravi Shastri as coach of Indian cricket team

In the video, it can be seen that the 25-year-old came in full pace and rhythm. He went short at the batter, who wasn’t prepared to face the expressive pace and was taken aback by it. He looked to duck the delivery but got an edge on the gloves. The second ball was hurried on the backfoot while the others were swinging their blades without any result.

Watch: KKR pacer Umran Malik clicks 150+ at J&K men’s T20 trial

Umran Malik, in an old interview, spoke about how the tennis ball helped him in gaining pace and bowl fast. His best season of the IPL came in 2022 for the Sunrisers when he picked up 22 wickets in 14 innings at an average of 20.18 and a strike rate of under 14, thanks to the economy rate of just over nine, with the best bowling figures of 5/25 in an inning.

🎥 Knights Watch: Umran Malik bowling 150+ clicks in his comeback game at the J&K Men's T20 trials. 🚀💥 pic.twitter.com/yhHgZKhAJ9

— KKR Vibe (@KnightsVibe) July 9, 2025

However, since then, it has gone flat for the speedster with only nine fixtures under his belt to earn five wickets at an average of over 50 and an economy rate of around 12.5. In his 18 international games for the Indian side, Malik picked up 24 wickets at an average of 26.

His last competitive game was back in March 2024 for Hyderabad against the Mumbai Indians. Meanwhile, his last domestic clash for Jammu and Kashmir was in February 2024 against Puducherry. If he gains fitness and bowls sharply in the upcoming season, few franchises will keep an eye on him during the next mini-auction.

The beautiful game of cricket has several intricacies, and fast bowling is one aspect that offers it sheer brilliance and sensation. Seeing a bowler at his mark, loading up with the ball as ammunition, striding ahead towards the crease, and delivering fast is an electrifying sight. Stepping up, setting the speed gun on fire, and hitting the top mark, visible as speed on the big screen, is an incredible moment in the game. As exciting as it can get, the chill of pace bowling is an immense source of adrenaline among the players and viewers. 

To master the skills of fast bowling, it takes a great amount of hard work, practice, rhythm, momentum, and innumerable accurate run-ups. To bowl the fastest ball in the match and for the history books is a beholding sight and requires immaculate strategies, strength, and consistency. To be counted as one of the fastest bowlers in the cricket world is a matter of humongous pride and an indication of pure greatness. 

Creating dread among the batters and overpowering them in the modern formats of the game is quite tough. Speed bowling is one tool, if employed and executed at its best, can bundle out the opposition in a jiffy. The protagonists of these are a rare species of players who possess the ball like venom and have set records for the same. Here is a look at the top ten fastest bowlers in the world who are currently in the game and actively plying their trade. 

See Also: 10 Largest Cricket Stadiums in the World

Mitchell Starc

The tall and lanky left-arm fast bowling sensation from Australia often takes the cricketing universe by storm because of his sensational pace. He is currently the fastest bowler in the world, having clocked an unimaginable speed of 99.7 miles per hour in a test match against New Zealand in 2015. His average speeds are in the high 140s kph, and his smooth action makes him look aesthetic while delivering balls. When he spearheads the bowling attack of any team, a fear is instilled among the batters, and this attribute has made him one of the highest wicket-takers for his nation, currently at 382 wickets in tests. His potent fitness while being a pacer is a testament to his focused approach towards meticulous practice, planning, and workload management. 

Haris Rauf

The skiddy bowler from Pakistan is a white ball specialist. He began his international career as a T20 player and soon got opportunities in the ODI circuit as well. He is tall, bangs the surface hard, and extracts extra bounce off the pitch. In a match against England in the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup, Australia, he bowled at 99 miles per hour, sending rocket waves across the bowling fraternity. He is a regular player in his national side and has accumulated 206 wickets, so far, in limited-overs cricket. His average bowling speed nears 150 kmph on many occasions. 

Lockie Ferguson

The Kiwi bowler is a great customer of batters' wickets. His sheer pace, complemented by impeccable bounce, line, and length, makes it extremely tough to score against him. His rhythmic bowling action makes his task look effortless. He regularly plays in the IPL and is a great asset for any team. Once in the 2022 season, playing for the Gujarat Titans against the Rajasthan Royals, he produced a magical delivery worth 157.3 kmph and set the speed gun ablaze. For New Zealand, he has, so far, taken 163 wickets in white ball cricket.

Umran Malik

The speedster from Jammu and Kashmir was the talk of the town even before his debut in professional cricket. His raw pace, coupled with youthful energy, made him a fast bowling sensation. This put him in the category of a rare breed of pacers, an asset that could serve India and IPL cricket for years to come. In the 2022 IPL season, playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad against the Delhi Capitals, he bowled a superfast delivery, measured at 157 kmph in the speed metrics. It became the second fastest ball in that season and earned him a place in the National side. He, however, has been very unfortunate with injuries and has missed out on a lot of game time over the years, hoping to return very soon and produce similar goods for which he became popular. 

Mayank Yadav

Mayank Yadav rose in the ranks while playing for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 2024 season of IPL. His impressive performances from the time he got an opportunity made the cricket pundits and viewers talk about him quite a lot on social media. In a match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he clocked a top speed of 156.7 kmph and took everyone by surprise. Delivering that fast at a tender age and also scalping a few wickets made him a player to watch out for ahead. He, too, has lacked the rub of the green in his strides and has dealt with injuries very frequently. 

Mark Wood

The English quick is one of the fastest bowlers in the world and among only a few who possess the ability to turn the tide in his team's favour purely by fiery pace bowling. He sprints like an athlete and delivers fire. At times, his absence from the England team make their attack look bleak and without any venom. Of late, his improved fitness has made him play a lot more matches than he used to in the past, and that is good for the game itself. During the test tour of Pakistan in 2022, he bowled a ball at 156.6 kmph and became the fastest bowler in England's history. He has taken 255 wickets across formats for his nation yet. 

Anrich Nortje

The South African right-arm speedster has an average bowling speed of around 150 kmph. His bowling resonates with business, and so does his serious looks. Playing for the Delhi Capitals and bowling to Rajasthan Royals' Jos Buttler, he sent waves across the world by recording a gobsmacking speed of 156.22 kmph. The Protea pacer, however, has been less economical over the years and has gone for a few in his overs on numerous occasions. Injuries have pegged him back quite a lot. He currently bowls quick but needs to be smart enough in disguising the batters to sustain himself further in the game. 

Kagiso Rabada

Another bowler hailing from South Africa is an all-format player for the National side. Known for his consistency, Rabada has been a go-to bowler for whichever team he has played in, at all levels. He might lack express pace when compared to other bowlers in the list, but if coupled with the right line and lengths, it apparently seems quite threatening. In IPL 2019, he produced a delivery having a speed of 154.23 kmph. Kagiso has 327 test wickets to his name. 

Jofra Archer

The Caribbean-born pacer became eligible to play for England in 2019 and was fast-tracked into the National side just before the ODI World Cup scheduled in the same year. This news sent seismic waves across the cricket world, and Jofra Archer has been associated with sheer pace since his inception. His raw speed and unparalleled accuracy make it a nightmare for opposition batters, and time and again, he has displayed that. 2019 was a glorious year for him, and he made his name by performing impressively well in the World Cup and the Ashes. 

Mohammad Shami

The Indian pace bowler is known to have the best seam position of the ball. He makes the ball talk at his own will, seaming and swinging notoriously. Delivered at a great pace, it becomes extremely difficult for the batters to negotiate his overs and spells, especially in the longest format of the game. His action is flawless and equivalent to poetry in cricket. His skills affirm the fact that fast bowling is all about rhythm. For India, Shami has struck 462 times across the three formats. 

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have recruited Chetan Sakariya as a replacement for Umran Malik for the next IPL 2025 season. Umran, who is famous for his express pace, has been injured and hence KKR was left with no choice but to find a substitute.

Chetan Sakariya's IPL and International Experience

Sakariya, a left-arm medium pacer, has played 19 IPL games before, taking 20 wickets. He has also played one ODI and two T20Is for India, demonstrating his potential to play at the top level.

KKR acquired Sakariya for INR 75 lakh, which brought solidity to their bowling department as they get ready for the upcoming season.

ALSO SEE: PCB Issues Legal Notice to Corbin Bosch Over PSL Exit

What This Means for KKR

With the injury of Umran Malik as a setback, Sakariya's addition brings KKR an experienced left-arm pacer capable of swinging the ball and bowl in various parts of the match. His familiarity with the IPL and international cricket makes him a great asset for the team.

The KKR fans cannot wait to know how Sakariya will deliver in the purple and gold colors as the side prepares for the IPL 2025.

Do you consider Sakariya a good fit to replace Umran Malik?

Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has questioned Umran Malik’s exclusion from all recent Indian squads, including the India A sides. However, Umran is not a part of the 16-member Indian squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. He wasn’t even picked for the recently concluded multi-format tour of South Africa, not even the India A side or the intra-squad practice games as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said: “Till some time back, Umran Malik was everywhere. We took him to the West Indies as well 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.”

The former India opener again shared: “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.”

SEE ALSO: Kris Srikkanth comments on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s inclusion in T20 World Cup Squad

However, Umran Malik registered impressive figures of 2/9 in 2.1 overs in his last T20I against New Zealand in February last year. However, he had a poor run in IPL 2023 and proved expensive in the two ODIs he played on the West Indies tour as well, and he hasn’t been picked after that as well. And, Aakash Chopra was surprised by Shreyas Iyer’s non-selection for the T20I series against Afghanistan as well.

“When I look at theelectionelection, I see Shreyas Iyer. There was a five-match series immediately after the World Cup, so he was rested for the first two or three matches but then he joined the team as a vice-captain. He scored a fifty in the last match against Australia as well. It was a match-winning knock,” Aakash Chopra concluded. “Then he went to South Africa as well but now he is not in the team. Why is he not there? If he was a part of your team, what happened to him now, suddenly? What will you tell Shreyas Iyer, that why hasn’t he been picked?”

However, Chopra also said that the Indian Team are yet to finalize their premier spinners. He said that the selectors are confused between Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja. He further added that they are yet to figure out their first-choice wrist-spinner between Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi as well.

Umran Malik and Haris Rauf have always been compared to one another, especially with the record of legendary bowler Shoaib Akhtar in sight. However, Pakistani great Aaqib Javed concludes the debate with a scathing remark about “Virat Kohli,” believing there is no point in it.

India’s young pacer Umran Malik and Pakistan’s fast-bowling star Haris Rauf are currently the two best bowlers in the world who consistently reach 150 kmph on the speedometer

Also, the two pacers have always been compared to Shoaib Akhtar, a legendary bowler, because of his record. However, Pakistani great Aaqib Javed concludes the debate with a scathing remark about “Virat Kohli,” believing there is no point in it.

Haris’s fastest delivery to date is his 159 kmph thunderbolt against England during the T20 World Cup last year. The 23-year-old Indian is the country’s fastest bowler. He reached 157 kmph in an Indian Premier League match, and 156 kmph was his fastest in an international match.

Javed was asked to comment on the Umran vs. Haris debate by Events & Happenings Sports. He said that it was like comparing Kohli to the rest of the world’s batters, comparing the India star batter to the Pakistan pacer in this context.

Javed believes that consistently crossing the 150 kmph mark during a match is more important than breaking Akhtar’s record. The World Cup-winning pacer noted that, in contrast to Haris, Umran typically begins at that speed but slows to 138 kmph by the seventh or eighth over.

ALSO READ: ICC ODI World Cup: India fast bowlers will be hard to stop at the World Cup

“Umran Malik is not as trained and fit as Haris Rauf. If you look at him in ODIs, in his first spell he bowls around 150 kmph but by the 7th or 8th over the speed drops to 138 kmph. The difference is the same as it is between Kohli and the rest of the batters. He (Haris) is very disciplined with his diet, training and his lifestyle. I have not seen a single Pakistan bowler who has a diet like Haris. No one has a clear lifestyle like him. Bowling 160 kmph is not a big deal for me, but bowling at the same speed throughout the match is very crucial,”

he said.

Eight overs into the second ODI, India had conceded six singles, three wides, and a leg-bye to New Zealand. In all, six of the 48 legal deliveries – fewer than a ball an over – had seen a run notched against the bowler. Mohammed Shami (4-1-5-2) and Mohammed Siraj (4-1-4-1) had taken out three wickets by then. This was not in windy Wellington where new-ball bowlers seem to beat the bat every time they do not take a wicket.

New Zealand fought back after being 15-5, but were still bundled out for 108. Shami finished with 3-18 and Siraj 1-10. Their fellow seamers, Hardik Pandya (2-16) and Shardul Thakur (1-26) accounted for three more wickets. India won at a canter. New Zealand’s collapse took place six days after India had bowled out Sri Lanka for 73. On that occasion, Shami had taken 2-20 and Siraj 4-32. Of course, one may argue that Sri Lanka had crumbled under ‘scoreboard pressure’ – a target of 391 can do that.

Also Read: Mitchell Santner Leads New Zealand’s Rise in Spin Stocks

Indian Pace unit very strong and vital for world cup, Bumrah’s fitness still a concern

But at The Oval in July, Jasprit Bumrah (6-19) and Shami (3-31) reduced England to 26-5 before they somehow reached 110. Since the start of 2022, India have played 29 ODIs – eight more than any other side in the world. Their stars had stayed away from many of these. Some of these absences were due to injuries. Others can be attributed to them being rested for Test cricket and the T20 World Cup. Shreyas Iyer and Siraj, the only others to have played in 20, were standbys at the World Cup.

What these experimental – it does not seem fair to call a team that has won 19 matches and lost eight ‘second-string’ – XIs have done is help India to build a cohort of fringe cricketers with experience at the top level. Jasprit Bumrah (108 wickets at 25.33) and Shami (148 at 25.62) stand out among India’s pace options. Shami’s strike rate of 27.5 means that he takes more than two wickets every 10 overs. Bumrah boasts of an economy rate of 4.65. Seldom have two fast bowlers of such quality assembled in an ODI unit.

India will be expecting more runs from the middle order and discipline in the death overs as they look for a series sealing win against New Zealand in the second ODI on Saturday. Umran Malik could be beneficial to take wickets with his pace and bounce. Hardik Pandya, who has not been at his belligerent best of late, will be expected to give final flourish to the innings. After being down and out at 131/6. New Zealand were allowed to score another 206 runs in the chase of 350 and that should worry India.

The visitors looked like getting a remarkable come-from-behind win but the individual brilliance of Mohammed Siraj stopped them. With the bat, Shubman Gill, who scored a scintillating double century, had singlehandedly taken India to a competitive total with the others falling by the wayside. Hardik Pandya, who has not been at his belligerent best of late. Will be expected to give final flourish to the innings.

Also Read: 30+ companies to interested in buying Women’s IPL franchises

Umran Malik can replace Shardul Thakur, sheer pace over variation?

Accommodated in the middle-order following his double-hundred performance in Bangladesh. Ishan Kishan would be itching to make the most of the opportunity after an off-day in Hyderabad. India brought Shardul Thakur into the team at the expense of the super quick Umran Malik considering his batting abilities. But the management needs to decide quickly if it wants a bowler who can bat or a specialist. Who can rattle the opposition with extra pace and get wickets in the middle overs.

In the spin department, had a game to forget while Kuldeep Yadav continued his impressive run. The team also has the option playing Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep together. But it has stuck to one wrist spinner and one finger spinner policy. Shahbaz Ahmed is another option that the men in blue can look at. Hardik Pandya, who has not been at his belligerent best of late, will be expected to give final flourish to the innings.

India vs New Zealand 2nd ODI Probable Playing XI:

IND: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan(wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammad Shami

NZ: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner