Malik, who burst on to the scene in 2021 as an out-and-out quick who can hit 150kph, has been troubled by injuries and illness since. He was due to play the Duleep Trophy at the start of the 2024-25 domestic season, but was eventually withdrawn after suffering a bout of dengue. He then suffered a fracture on his hip.
Malik has played eight T20Is so far, picking up 11 wickets at an economy rate of 10.48. As for Sakariya, he has played two T20Is, taking one wicket at an economy rate of 9.27.
Sakariya could potentially fill in for Spencer Johnson, who is KKR’s first-choice left-arm fast bowler. Malik’s injury-enforced absence now means that KKR don’t have a like-for-like Indian option for Anrich Nortje, who is also prone to injuries.
KKR are the defending champions, having beaten Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2024 final.
