Former India batter Wasim Jaffer questioned the utilization of fast bowler Umran Malik by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). On Monday, April 24 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, SRH lost to the Delhi Capitals (DC) by seven runs, signifying their fifth loss in the IPL 2023. The 2016 IPL champions are presently ranked ninth in the IPL 2023 points table with four points.
If they lack confidence in Malik’s bowling abilities, according to Jaffer, SRH would be better off adding a batsman to their lineup. During SRH’s recent match against DC in Hyderabad, Malik only bowled two overs and conceded 14 runs without claiming a wicket. This season, the 23-year-old bowler has taken five wickets in seven outings.
“SRH are fielding Umran Malik, but he only bowled two overs against Delhi.”
They could have played a batter in his place. If you don’t trust him as a bowler, it’s preferable to add a batsman to the team, according to Jaffer, who spoke to ESPNcricinfo.
“At one stage, Delhi were 62/5, but Hyderabad allowed them to reach 144. If they had bowled better, their situation would have been simpler. “SRH’s decision to let Delhi score 144 was a mistake,” he continued.
Harry Brook could bat at either position four or five; Jaffer
Despite having a strong batting order, SRH has yet to perform well with the bat. Jaffer suggested that SRH should alter their batting order, with England’s Harry Brook batting lower in the lineup. Additionally, the 45-year-old stated that the 2016 champions must improve their batting combination to achieve improved results in upcoming matches.
“Based on their batting order, I believe Abhishek Sharma is the superior option as the opening batsman. He has scored the majority of his runs for SRH as an opener. He is out of position [in the midst of the order]. Harry Brook could bat in either position four or five. That will improve their batting in the lower order. With batsmen like Aiden Markram, Brook, and Heinrich Klaasen, their middle- and death-over batting will become formidable. They must strengthen their batting combination and batting order, said the former cricketer.
David Warner, captain of the District of Columbia, won the toss and elected to bat first after the match began. Manish Pandey (34 off 27) and Axar Patel (34 off 34) struck late to help DC post 144/9. Aiden Markram and Co. were restricted to 137/6 in 20 overs while chasing the target.