“Umran Malik is a special talent for Team India”: Temba Bavuma opens up on the prospect of facing 150km/h deliveries of Umran Malik

South African captain Temba Bavuma has opened up on the prospect of playing Umran Malik in the upcoming T20I series against India.

India and South Africa are set to go head to head in the 5-match T20I series starting from 9 June 2022 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. KL Rahul will lead the Indian side, whereas Rishabh Pant will be his vice-captain. There are some fresh new faces in the team as well for the series.

Umran Malik can get his opportunity to make his T20I debut after a brilliant IPL with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Malik finished the IPL 2022 with 22 wickets in 14 games at an average of 20.18, and he finished as the 4th highest run-scorer of the tournament. He also won the emerging player of the year trophy.

Umran recorded the 2nd highest speed of IPL 2022 (157 Km/h), which is the 3rd fastest ball in the history of the Indian Premier League.

Temba Bavuma opens up on facing Umran Malik

South African captain Temba Bavuma hailed Umran Malik as a special talent and said that he hope to see Umran Malik succeed on the International stage as well. Bavuma said that they also have players who can bowl 150 km/h, but no batter would want to face a bowler bowling at that speed.

“I think in South Africa we grow up facing fast bowlers but I don’t think no batter likes to face a ball at 150 kmph. But you prepare as well as you can,” Temba Bavuma said.

“We also got guys who can bowl 150 kmph. So we have that weaponry in our arsenal. But Umran Malik is a special talent for Team India and I hope that he could emulate his IPL performance in international cricket.”

Temba Bavuma will play a huge part in the batting of South Africa in the T20I series. Bavuma’s T20I records are not great, and he has been criticized for playing slow as well. He has scored 501 T20I runs in 21 matches at an average of 27.83, whereas his S/R has been 123.09. He has just scored one half-century so far in T20Is.