Umran Malik forced to miss the Buchi Babu Tournament 2024 due to this reason

As India's domestic cricket season is approaching fast, one of the most talked-about names’ absence from the upcoming Buchi Babu Tournament is raising eyebrows.

The Buchi Babu Tournament is set to be held across Tamil Nadu with 12 competing teams, Umran Malik is not going to take part in the tournament, and the pacer himself revealed the reason.

The 24-year-old pacer, who became a sensation with his raw speed during the IPL 2021, has not been named in the Jammu and Kashmir squad for the Buchi Babu Invitational Cricket Tournament, starting on August 15 across four locations in Tamil Nadu: Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Salem, and Natham.

Umran Malik misses Buchi Babu Tournament as health issues take toll

Malik’s rise was meteoric—his consistent 140 kph pace made him a standout player for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2022, where he featured in all 14 matches and became known for his toe-crushing deliveries. His impressive IPL debut was followed by his international debut.

The right-arm pacer represented India in 10 ODIs and eight T20Is, claiming 24 wickets, between June 2022 and July 2023. However, his promising career seems to have hit a roadblock, as he lost his place in the Indian cricket team, and then his performance took a dip in the IPL 2023 as well.

He played only eight matches for SRH in the IPL 2023 and was given just one game last season, as the SRH team finished as runners-up. Malik’s once fearsome pace has been overshadowed by a lack of control and consistency, leading to his leak runs and making him vulnerable.

Malik's struggles worsened by his limited domestic game time, as he missed opportunities in the Ranji Trophy 2023-24, where he could only bowl 47 overs throughout the season, largely due to weather disruptions in Jammu & Kashmir.

Despite seeking guidance from South African legends like Dale Steyn at SRH in the IPL and Irfan Pathan during the domestic season, Malik didn’t get the desired results. And yet again he was forced to miss out on the Buchi Babu Tournament.

I’m down with dengue: Malik

Umran Malik was quoted as saying by The Indian Express: “I was fully prepared that season (Ranji Trophy 2023-24), but the weather didn’t help. Then I was really looking forward to the IPL as I’d gained a lot in the months preceding the IPL. Unfortunately, even that didn’t go the way I wanted. But it also gave me the time to work on things I wanted to in the practice sessions.”

The Jammu & Kashmir pacer was hoping to take part in the upcoming Buchi Babu Invitational Cricket Tournament 2024, but he’s down with dengue, forcing him to be sidelined for the pre-season event. He has also recently recovered from a hamstring injury.

Malik signed off by saying, “I’ve definitely become a better bowler if you ask me. After the IPL, I injured my hamstring and just as I recovered, I’m down with dengue.”

Notably, the Buchi BabuTournament 2024 will feature 10 teams and they are the defending champions Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Railways, Gujarat, Mumbai, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Hyderabad, and Baroda, along with two local teams, TNCA President's XI and TNCA XI.