I think Umran Malik has not been handled well by the franchise: Zaheer Khan

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Aiden Markram said that he had no idea why fast bowler Umran Malik was benched for the majority of their matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Before being dropped from the playing XI, the speedster had played half the number of games and taken five wickets at an economy rate of 10.35.

Meanwhile, former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan believes that Umran, who dominated the previous IPL season and was quickly promoted to the Indian team, has been improperly handled by SRH this year. 

“I don't really know what's happening with him behind the scenes,” said the SRH skipper while still labelling Malik as their “X-factor”.

“I think Umran Malik has not been handled well by the franchise, the way his services should have been utilised by SRH. That is something which was evident," Zaheer was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Zaheer went on to say that when it comes to young seamers, it's all about providing that environment and support. He added that sadly, it was something which was not followed by SRH, which is why Umran has had a season to forget this year.

“When you are talking about a young seamer, you are also looking at creating that environment and support. That guidance is required. Unfortunately, that was not seen from SRH and that is why he has had the season that he's had this year," the 44-year-old added.

SRH will take on MI in final league stage clash

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) were defeated by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by an eight-wicket margin, on Thursday, May 18 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The 2016 champions were already out of playoff contention after suffering a loss against the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in their previous IPL 2023 encounter. 

The Aiden Markram-led side have had a disappointing season, as they are at the bottom of the IPL 2023 points table with eight points. On May 21, they will take on the five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in their last fixture of the IPL 2023 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.