Jammu: It is 2 o’clock in the afternoon and the temperature is 43 degree celsius. Unaware of the heat, Abdul Rashid Malik is busy arranging vegetables and fruits at his stall in Jammu’s Gujjar Nagar. He has to close shop early today, as he has to go home to watch the IPL, in which his son Umran Malik has emerged as one of the stars of 2022.
As he is busy closing his stall, two men, in their twenty-five years, come up to him and say, “AAP fast bowler Umran Malik Are you your father?, Best wishes of today match For, (You are fast bowler Umran Malik’s father right? All the best for today’s match)”. Rashid smiled.
This is not unusual for a 55-year-old. Ever since his son made his mark by bowling the fastest delivery in the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad, many people have been approaching him – some congratulating him, some asking him how Umran is doing, while others just taking pictures. to come to them. clicked with him.
“They tell me they want to click a picture with me. I tell them to come back when Umran returns home. I am shy,” he says fearlessly.
As he reaches home, Rashid tells his wife Seema Begum and daughter Shehnaaz to leave all the work and prepare for the match. Tea is made, cookies are placed on a plate, some nuts are placed in a bowl and everyone sits down to watch the match.
As soon as Umran’s photo appears on the screen and the commentators call him a sensation, they mention him.fastest bowling‘ (The fastest bowler), Seema Begum’s face lit up and she swelled with pride.My Son‘ (My Son).
ThePrint’s national photo editor Praveen Jain describes how life has changed for the Malik family, and what a sports day in Jammu looks like for Umran on the field.
