A bowler who bowls at 150 kph knows that he is a king: Umran Malik

Jammu and Kashmir express pacer Umran Malik, who last played for Team India in July 2023 against the West Indies, has expressed that a pacer who bowls at 150 kph knows that he is a king and he has to back himself for good results.

Speaking to the media after J&K’s match against Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Musthaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 campaign, Malik asserted that pace is his strength and added that bowling 150 kph is an art. 

“Let me tell you one thing. Those who bowl 150 are not strike bowlers; they are attacking bowlers. They will be hit for 30 (runs) in four (overs) but will also give you wickets. A fast bowler is like that. He should know what he has to do,” Umran told the media after J&K's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh on Friday.

“A bowler who bowls at 150 knows that he is a king and he has to back himself. Not everyone can bowl 150kph. It takes real guts to bowl at 150kph and I have been doing this for the last five years,” he added.

“Bowling 150kph is an art, you can't go directly from 137 to 145. Do training, do whatever you want -- this is natural, this is all natural. Speed is my natural aspect, how can I compromise on that? Training, running, cardio --you have to maintain. There is no special diet. Pace is my strength. I have to regain my strength,” he stated.

For the unversed, Umran Malik clocked 156.7kph in IPL 2024 while representing the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise, but has since battled multiple injuries. While he was part of the KKR set-up in IPL 2025, he was sidelined from the squad mid-way due to an injury. 

“It is not that I will feel bad mentally. I know that I will do well now. I will come back to the India team. I have confidence in myself because I am the only one who bowls at 150. But now I am bowling slower (balls) as well, which I am working on, and also the yorker. I am doing that in red-ball formats too, I'm working hard there. The rest is up to the selectors when they let me play. I am doing better now. Playing again for India is my aim now,” he said.

“When I was playing earlier, there was this much competition. Now also the competition is the same. I don't think there is any competition. When I am fully fit and take wickets like this, why won't they let me play? They will let me play if I take wickets. That's it,” he concluded.

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