
Regardless of the form, it still has enough to offer, all thanks to its high rhythm.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) retained up to six players before the IPL 2025 auction and 69 million rupees passed. Therefore, its budget was relatively restricted compared to most other teams, which entered huge cash to spend. Due to its budget, KKR was forced to settle with some non -performers.
Even so, they did a decent job at the auction to form a quality team that will compete again. While Venkatesh Iyer’s acquisition was an important point, KKR also bought some solid budget selections that could be games changers. His recent mediocre actions reduced their value in the auction, and Kkr was intelligent to obtain some of them, knowing how they could contribute when they were in the peak.
One of them is the Speedster Express Umran Malik, which was with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the previous cycle. Kkr bought it for its base price of INR 75 Lakhs during the auction IPL 2025. With SRH, its price was INR 4 million rupees, but the fall in its amount of the auction represents its recent fall.
The prominent ascent and the strong fall of Umran Malik
When Sunrisers Hyderab bought Umran Malik for INR 4 million rupees before IPL 2022, they had high expectations, and rightly so. For his credit, he worked exceptionally well in that season and demonstrated his correct selection. He took 22 WICKETS at 20.18 races each, and although his economy (9.03) was high, Umran did his job by providing advances in IPL 2022.
The main point was its middle -aged bowling alley, where it took 19 of 22 WICKETS to an average of 19.78. However, Umran could not continue his breath in the following seasons. In eight outings in 2023, he took only 5 wickts, admitting 10.85 races for more and was dropped in the middle of the season.
Then, in the 2024 edition, Umbran only got a game, where he launched a loner for 15 races. A promising beginning did not take it anywhere because he could not control his rhythm and continued to sprinkle it everywhere. Therefore, Srh released him before the auction, especially because it was limited.
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What does Umran Malik offer Kolkata Knight Riders?
Umbran Malik has not been at his best in the last two seasons, but he has an essential weapon in his armor: the rhythm. Umran is a pacemaker who can play at a high pace and shake the batters with their shorter length deliveries. Therefore, he will be an ideal executor in the middle that will bend his back and keep the batters in the background.
In the previous cycle, he played this role for Sunrisers Hyderabad, although he had limited opportunities in seasons 2023 and 2024. Few Indian sprinters are as fast as Umbran, which tempts the team to have it. The teams spend a large sum to have an executor in their squads and can pursue options abroad.
But Umran does not take the slot abroad and plays the same paper. Regardless of the form, it still has enough to offer, all thanks to its high rhythm. That speed is enough to take risks with him.
Can Umran Malik find a place in KKR’s XI?
If we look at KKR’s options, they have Rana and Andre Russell as their executors. They also repeat well in death and can do heavy work after the game of power. Then, Umran’s possibilities to enter the XI are thin.
However, Harshit is slightly prone to injuries and can sometimes fall apart. Even if it is fit, KKR can rest by some games to handle his injury. That should open the door to Umran Malik.
Therefore, he could act as support, but he can improve his skills while working with Dwayne Bravo. Bravo specializes in helping young players solve their problems and being as threatening as before. So, there is still positive for Umbran, even if you do not have enough opportunities in IPL 2025.
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