Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, June 26: After sitting on the bench for the entire five-match series against South Africa, J&K sensational pacer Umran Malik today received debut cap from the Indian pacer Bhubneshwar Kumar before the start of the first T-20 match against Ireland at Village Malahide Cricket Club.
With this achievement, Umran has become the second cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to play for India. He has joined Parvez Rasool in the elite list of J&K cricketers to have played for the men in blue. Rasool played one each ODI and T20I each for the national team against Bangladesh and England respectively.
The match will mark the debut of Hardik Pandya as the Indian captain. Pandya will become the fifth player to lead India across formats in 2022.
Ahead of the 2022 Indian Premier League, Sunrisers Hyderabad retained Umran for Rs. 4 crore wherein he impressed cricket experts across the globe with his speed. During the IPL season-2022, Umran finished as the fourth-highest wicket-taker of the season with 22 wickets to his name.
The performance in the IPL helped him earn his maiden call-up to the Indian squad for the home series against South Africa. However, in the home series, he did not get to make his debut. Last year, Umran was part of the India A team which played three red-ball games against South Africa A.
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