SRH will be top contenders if Umran Malik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar perform well: Nikhil Chopra

The Indian Premier League has introduced many young talents who have swept the game of cricket with their extraordinary talent and potential. Players like Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendar Chahal, and KL Rahul are a few such players who first proved their mettle in India’s domestic T20 tournament and carried on their form at the International level.

The 15th edition of IPL is already kicked off, and just within four games, fans have already seen a handful of young prodigies winning games for their franchises. As Sunrisers Hyderabad is taking on inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals in the fifth clash of the tournament, former Indian cricketer Nikhil Chopra named another young pacer whose performance will make a lot of impact in the game.

While speaking on Sky247.net presents ‘Not Just Cricket Show’ on CricTracker, Chopra trusted Umran Malik by saying, “The young pacer is the one of fastest in the world right now, and selectors will keep a close eye on him. Malik had an outstanding season last year, and his performance will decide the fate of the Hyderabad franchise.” Chopra further emphasised the fact that the presence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the team will provide a lot of advantage to Malik as the duo can turn out to be lethal for opponents.

Malik brings the energy of youth, while Kumar has rich experience behind his name: Nikhil Chopra

“Malik brings the energy of youth, while Kumar has rich experience behind his name. If both perform well in the tournament, Hyderabad will be top contenders for the title,” concluded Chopra. The 22-year-old pacer from Jammu and Kashmir was one of the success stories of the UAE leg of IPL 2021, where he picked 11 wickets in eight matches.

His superb performance resulted in him being picked as a net bowler for the Indian team for the T20 World Cup. He was also one of the players that two-time IPL winners Sunrisers Hyderabad, retained for IPL 2022. Bhubneshwar Kumar was picked in a two-day IPL auction by the Hyderabad franchise for Rs. 4.20 crores.