IPL 2021: “He’s been giving us quite a hard time in training” - Jason Holder opens up on SRH’s new pace sensation Umran Malik

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) all-rounder Jason Holder has revealed that team members have found it quite tough to deal with Umran Malik’s pacy deliveries in the nets.

Drafted into SRH’s main squad as a COVID-19 replacement for T Natarajan, 21-year-old Malik has impressed cricket pundits as well as fans with his express pace and control.

Playing his second match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Wednesday, Malik finished with figures of 1 for 21. He dismissed Srikar Bharat to claim his maiden IPL scalp.

Speaking about Malik’s impactful entry into the SRH playing XI, Holder agreed that extra pace does make a big difference.

“I think the first thing to mention is his pace. That’s his biggest asset. He’s just been consistent in training and he’s been giving us quite a hard time in training. He has been very hard to get hold of. As you have seen in the games, he is obviously deceiving a lot of batters for pace. That extra pace always adds a boost to any bowling attack,” the former West Indian captain said at a post-match conference.

Holder added that Malik’s control even while bowling quick is making him that much more effective.

“It’s good to see his control as well. A lot of guys who have bowled quick over the years, sometimes, may seem erratic. But he has been pretty consistent and he has grouped really good deliveries together,” the SRH all-rounder added.

Malik bowled the fastest ball of this year’s IPL season, clocking 153 kmph during SRH’s four-run win over RCB.

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“Funnily enough, I didn’t practice yesterday” - SRH's Jason Holder on delivering consistent performances

SRH pacer Jason Holder is elated after claiming a wicket. Pic: IPLT20.COM

While Malik has made an impression in the last couple of games, Holder has been on top of his game for a few matches in a row, especially with the ball. He had figures of 1 for 27 on Wednesday. Before that, he claimed 3 for 19 against Punjab, 3 for 27 against Chennai and 2 or 32 against Kolkata.

Asked how he prepares before a game, Holder responded that he tries to stick to his game plan and keep things simple.

“I just try to prepare well. Funnily enough, I didn’t practice yesterday as I felt that I needed a little bit of a break just to recuperate. But for me, I just like to be clear in my thought process and my game plans. Sometimes, I tend to watch some footage, try to pick up some patterns and just know how I want to set fields when it comes to bowling. So I just want to be clear about my plans and execute them,” he explained.

Following their unexpected triumph over RCB, SRH will take on Mumbai in their last league encounter in Abu Dhabi on Friday, October 8.