Blow for J&K: Umran Malik ruled out of Ranji Trophy 2024-25

In a major blow to the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team, India’s young pace sensation Umran Malik has been ruled out of the first phase of the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2024-25 due to a hip injury. The speedster, known for his blistering pace, will be out of action for at least six weeks.

Umran Malik, who has garnered attention with his raw speed and ability to rattle even the best batters in the IPL, was expected to lead the pace attack of the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team in the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2024-25. But the pace gun’s injury has left the team management scrambling.

Umran Malik’s hip injury sidelines him from Ranji Trophy 2024-25

The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) is yet to name a replacement for Umran in their Ranji Trophy squad. Well, the Indian pacer’s six-week recovery timeline raised questions about his participation in the later stages of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, leaving the team in a precarious position.

NEW: Umran Malik to miss first phase of Ranji Trophy due to hip injury. He will be out of action for at least 6 weeks. JKCA is yet to name a replacement for him in the #RanjiTrophy squad

— Mohsin Kamal (@64MohsinKamal) October 6, 2024

This unfortunate setback comes at a time when Umran was aiming to make a big impact in domestic cricket to push for his return to the Indian cricket team. His injury now not only sidelines him from the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 but could also hurt him with the IPL 2025 retentions set to be announced soon.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) has urged Umran Malik’s fans and media outlets to avoid constantly questioning his return to the Indian cricket team.

Brigadier Anil Gupta, a member of the JKCA administration, expressed concern that the ongoing hype surrounding the young pacer’s comeback could negatively impact his morale.

Scans had shown a stress fracture in Umran Malik's left hip: JKCA

Malik was selected for the Duleep Trophy 2024, but he was unfortunately sidelined due to a bout of dengue. Brigadier Gupta emphasized that the young pacer will need time for his recovery, so it is important to give him space and support without adding unnecessary pressure on him.

Brigadier Anil Gupta was quoted as saying by Rising Kashmir: “After recovering from dengue, Umran suffered from a toe injury and followed it with a hamstring injury. However, after recovering from his left hamstring injury, he complained of issues around his left hip during bowling, and a consultation and subsequent scans had shown a stress fracture in his left hip.”

It is being said that JKCA and Umran had an extensive evaluation and thorough discussions with a team of specialists, including a radiologist, nuclear medicine expert, infectious disease specialist, and endocrinologist, over the past week before taking the call to sideline him for 5-6 weeks. He is likely to be availabale for the second phase of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25.

He is just going through a bad phase: JKCA on Umran Malik

Behind this extensive process, the aim was to investigate the potential causes and rule out other underlying factors contributing to the pacer’s condition, as the fracture site is quite unusual, and there are also stress-related changes observed on the right side of his pelvic bone.

Mr. Gupta signed off by saying, “He is currently in the off-loading phase for the next 4-6 weeks and will progress to the next phase after relevant scans and follow-up consultation with the experts.”

On the other hand, Mithun Manhas, Member Cricket Operations and Development JKCA, stated: “He is just going through a bad phase, which is a common occurrence in every player’s career. We hope that after he is fully recovered, he will return to the field with fresh energy and Josh.”