'Maybe he had a spat with management': Virender Sehwag weighs in on Umram Malik's absence from SRH playing 11

Highly regarded as one of the most promising fast bowlers in Indian cricket, Umran Malik was anticipated to make a significant impact in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. However, his performances have fallen short of expectations, raising questions about his future. In a recent match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), SRH captain Aiden Markram expressed his confusion regarding Umran's absence from the playing XI. This lack of awareness from the skipper has raised concerns, and former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag shared his thoughts on the matter.

Undisclosed issues behind the scenes

While Sehwag acknowledged that Umran's underperformance was the reason for his exclusion, he also alluded to the possibility of undisclosed issues behind the scenes that led to his omission from the match against RCB. The fact that Markram was unaware of the reason behind Umran's absence hints at a potential rift or communication breakdown between Umran and the SRH management, adding further intrigue to the situation.

"I feel you can do anything behind the scene that is your life, you if you are performing in the ground and you are working hard for it, that is important for me. When I was the coach or mentor, I believed that when you in the ground I want to 100 per cent effort from you, off the field what you do, I have not meaning in that, that is your life. I truly did not understand what 'behind the scene' meant. Maybe that he (Umran) had a spat with the management or maybe there was some misbehaviour, then that is bad. You were given an opportunity, you did not perform, now you have to wait until your next chance. You should shut the mouths with your performance," Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.

Sehwag drew parallels between Umran Malik's absence and David Warner's rift with SRH management in IPL 2022.

"I think something similar was said by David Warner as well. This was the same language, only Markram put it in a better way," he said.

"Probably Markram genuinely doesn't know why Umran has been dropped or he maybe told not to pick him. And when Markram has been provided with no reason then what else will he say," he added.