IND vs SA 2022: Will Umran Malik make his debut for Men in Blue? Rahul Dravid responds

Uncapped Indian pacer Umran Malik from Jammu & Kashmir has been sensational in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL). Playing for former champion SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), he impressed since IPL 2021 with his ability to bowl consistently at a pace of over 150 km/h. In IPL 2022, he was even more impressive, bagging 22 wickets in 14 games, the most for SRH, at an economy of 9.03, including a four-for and a fifer. His maximum speed in IPL 2022 happened to be 157 mn/h, making him the fastest Indian pacer in the IPL to date. He has been rewarded for his talent and performance with the Team India call-up for the upcoming five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) against South Africa at home, starting Thursday. Meanwhile, head coach Rahul Dravid has revealed if he will be handed his debut right away or will he have to wait for it.

Speaking during the pre-series press conference on Tuesday, Dravid framed, "We just have to see how much playing time we will be able to give him [Malik]. We have a big squad. Not possible to have everyone in the playing XI. I like consistency and giving people time to settle in."

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"Arshadeep has also done well, who is also an exciting player, who bowls well. We have a few experienced guys in Harshal, Buvi and Avesh, who played in the last series. It is exciting to have the young guys as well. It helps us broaden our pool and see what they can do," added Dravid.

"He [Malik] is exciting, certainly bowls quick and has pace. Another exciting thing in the IPL was seeing the Indian players bowl fast. The more he plays, the better he gets. Very happy to have him in the mix. As a coach, I would love to see it translate to the game's longer format," Dravid concluded.

(With inputs from PTI)