Jasprit Bumrah’s Meteoric Rise from Obscurity

A right-arm fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah is a 26-year-old Indian international cricketer born in Ahmedabad, who plays domestic cricket for Gujarat. One of the fastest bowlers India has ever had, Bumrah, has the ability to hit speeds of over 140 km/h consistently. The fastest he has ever bowled was at 153.26 km/h against Australia at the Adelaide Oval in 2018. He plays for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL since 2013.

Bumrah belongs to a middle-class Sikh family and lost his father, who was an industrialist, at the young age of 7. He has a sister who teaches in a school in Ahmedabad. He and his sister were brought up by their mother, Daljit Kaur, a school principal. Jasprit Bumrah's Family has always been very supportive of him playing cricket and encouraged him to pursue it after he discovered he could play well.

The reason for having a calm and balanced head on his shoulders is probably because he has been through a tough time while growing up. He says after his father's death, he just had one pair of shoes and limited clothes that he would have to use for a long time. From a person who has seen so much to today, when he is practically leading the Indian bowling attack, Bumrah has been through a wide gamut of emotions. A rags-to-riches story, today his net worth is estimated to be around $4 million, and he can surely afford way more than a pair of shoes. In a sport dominated by batting heroes, he could be the first true bowling superstar India has ever seen.

He was picked to play for Mumbai Indians in the IPL for the 2013 edition and took three wickets for 32 runs in his debut match. He didn't get to play much but was noticed for his unique action and ability to confuse the batsmen. He was playing first-class cricket for Gujarat since 2012. Jasprit Bumrah's height and high-arm action allow him to deliver bowls from much higher than most other Indian bowlers, which helps him generate a fair amount of bounce even on the slow tracks of the Indian sub-continent.

He has been so successful for whatever team he has played for because of his ability to maintain a consistent line and length along with good pace and bounce that makes it difficult for even the best batsmen to play. It has been reported that Virat Kohli – one of the best batsmen in world cricket and Bumrah's captain in the national side – likes to face him during nets because he finds him difficult to pick. This respect that Kohli has for Bumrah tells us so much about the kind of bowler he is. He has troubled batsmen on slow Asian pitches and fast and bouncy Australian pitches without breaking a sweat.

He is from the crop of new generation cricketers who burst into the limelight because of the IPL. It took him three years from the first time he played IPL to his selection in the national side. He made his one-day international debut against Australia on 23rd January and T20 debut three days later against the same team. He got his test cap much later in January 2018 against South Africa. Jasprit Bumrah's wickets in all three formats have been memorable because they are among the world's greatest players.

1. His first ODI wicket was Steve Smith, widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time.
2. The explosive David Warner became his first-ever victim in T20 internationals.
3. He bagged the prized wicket of AB De Villiers on his test debut.

Some Outstanding Performance of Jasprit Bumrah

He has always been an attacking bowler who keeps it tight because it is hard to pick him. His records in all formats speak for themselves, and he has time and again proved himself to be worthy of the India cap. Let us throw some light on his achievements and try to decode his success as a fast bowler, kinds of which are rarely found in Indian conditions.

1. Bumrah's three-wicket haul in his IPL debut against RCB made him only the second bowler ever in the side to take three wickets on debut. He took out the prolific Virat Kohli and cleaned out the middle-order duo of Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair.
2. In his debut international year, he broke the T20 record of taking the maximum wickets in a year while playing against the West Indies when he left Dirk Nannes's tally of 28 wickets behind.
3. He broke the record of taking the most wickets in a bilateral series of 5 or lesser matches when he took 17 wickets against Sri Lanka in 2017. He also took his first wicket haul in that series.
4. During the 2018-2019 Australia Series, Bumrah became the first sub-continent bowler to take five-wicket hauls in South Africa, Australia, and England, countries which are generally a nightmare for touring Asian countries.
5. His tally of 48 wickets in 2018 was the most by an Indian bowler in his debut year. He proved to be extremely hard to score off due to his consistently tight and probing line and length.
6. Bumrah became the third Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in test match cricket when he ripped open the West Indies batting order during the Caribbean tour of 2019.

Charm of BOOM BOOM BUMRAH

His unique, slanted round-arm action has helped him destroy batting orders single-handedly, earning him the nickname of boom boom Bumrah. His boyish charm has helped him garner a lot of lady attention, thus increasing his popularity among cricket-lovers. A lot has been speculated about his love-affairs in the Indian media. Still, he has always kept silent on the issue, much to the dismay of cricket fans who are eagerly waiting for Jasprit Bumrah’s wife to be revealed. His ascendence to the top has been faster than usual, but to his credit, he has handled it well and has been observed to have a calm head on his shoulders.

Let’s take a look at Jasprit Bumrah’s ranking in international cricket as of August 2020.

1. Ranked 2nd on the bowlers’ list in Men’s One Day International Cricket
2. Ranked 9th in the bowlers’ list in Men’s International Test Cricket
3. Ranked 12th in the bowlers’ list in Men’s T20 International cricket

A lot has been speculated about his unique action, which many believe is the secret of his success. His short run-up belies the pace he generates, and it is only when he reaches the bowling crease that there is a sudden burst of energy created by his arms and shoulders that deliver the ball with immense speed to the other side. The short run-up combined with his action allows him to be very accurate and attack the batsman with a consistent line and length, creating doubt in the minds of the best in the world. The in-swinging yorker is his most dangerous delivery that many batsmen find unplayable. He usually uses this delivery in the death overs when taking wickets becomes crucial. He considers Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, and Wasim Akram as his favorite bowlers and the ones he looks up to. He is now considered an inseparable part of the Indian team in all formats and basically leads the pack of fast bowlers on the field for the country. The best part about Jasprit Bumrah’s wickets is that he does not get them due to his pace alone, but instead in combination with guile and street-smartness.

Jasprit Bumrah Career

He is one of a kind bowler, who is effective in all three formats of cricket because of his pace and line and length. Here’s a look at his best performances across the formats.

Bumrah Tests Stats

Bumrah’s bowling figures of 6/27 against the West Indies in 2019 are his personal best in test cricket. This is also the match during which he took a hat-trick, taking out Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brave, and Roston Chase very early in the innings and off consecutive deliveries. This gave India a massive advantage and though he couldn’t take any wickets on the next day, all six of his wickets coming on the 2nd day itself, he helped break the back of the West Indies batting. He also sent Kraigg Brathwaite, Jason Holder, and John Campbell back to the pavilion. India ended up winning the fixture comfortably by a massive margin of 257 runs.

Bumrah One Day Internationals Stats

Sri Lankan batsmen never really felt threatened by an Indian pace bowler before Bumrah came into the picture, barring Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath to an extent. But everything changed on India’s 2017 tour of Sri Lanka, wherein the 3rd ODI Jasprit Bumrah pegged them on the mat. He took 5 wickets for 27 runs that also was his first five-wicket haul in international cricket. His fiery spell resulted in Sri Lanka losing two of their in-form batsmen, Dickwella and Thirimanne. The fact that the pitch was helpful for the fast bowlers aided him in rattling the Sri Lankan top order. He also bagged the wickets of Mendis, Siriwardana, and Dananjaya. India cruised to victory with 6 wickets to spare and Bumrah was adjudged the man of the Match.

Bumrah T20 Internationals Stats

His 3/11 against Zimbabwe on a flat deck without any help from the conditions was a reasonable effort, though, it has to be said that their batsmen were gifting away their wickets. Bumrah, who was still relatively new, was overshadowed by Barinder Sran’s four-wicket haul, including three in one over. He bowled Elton Chigumbura and Neville Madziva through the gate and had Peter Moor caught to come into his own. Zimbabwe eventually ended up making just 99 runs for the loss of 9 wickets and India comfortably cruised to victory.

Bumrah IPL T20 Stats

The 10th edition of the IPL brought out the best in Bumrah. In a match against Kolkata, Jasprit Bumrah bagged 3 wickets for 7 runs in 3 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders to take his team to the finals of the IPL, which they eventually won. He dismissed opener Chris Lynn and middle-order batsmen Robin Uthappa and Suryakumar Yadav, in the process also proved to be the most economical bowler in the match. His performance was once again overshadowed by Karn Sharma, who picked up 4 wickets and was adjudged the man of the Match.

His slower ball is even difficult to pick because he consistently bowls above 140km/h. He disguises them nicely, which often catches batsmen off-guard and they end up making mistakes. He has admitted that his slower run-up hasn’t been taught to him and it probably helps him conserve energy before reaching the bowling crease. His action also makes him quite injury-prone and he spent a lot of time nursing them after the 2019 World Cup, where his spectacular performance saw him taking 9 wickets in 18 matches at an economy of 4.40. He was the highest wicket-taker from India and 5th highest in the competition.

Bumrah’s stats speak for themselves, and his domestic career has not been any less illustrious. Like any young cricketer who gets noticed due to their domestic cricket performances, Bumrah was also picked up by Mumbai Indians based on spectacular bowling efforts for his team, Gujarat. Just before he was selected for the national side, Bumrah took the most wickets in the Vijay Hazare trophy in late 2015, picking up 21 wickets in the tournament.

Jasprit Bumrah Stats

It is crystal clear from the above stats that he has been a very economical bowler throughout his career and therefore the darling of every captain he plays under. Not able to get off Bumrah puts a lot of pressure on batsmen, which keeps playing on their minds until they play a rash shot and lose their wicket in order to break the shackles. This modus operandi works against almost every batsman because no batsman wants to spend time on the crease without scoring runs, especially in the T20 era where every ball matters. This frustration of batsmen is what Bumrah takes advantage of. Another modus operandi that Bumrah employs is disguising yorkers between good length deliveries. Most of his teammates and commentators describe him as a thinking person, one who uses his brain to fox the batsman instead of just brute pace.
Jasprit Bumrah’s IPL career has seen an excellent run till now, and he has been doing what is required of him as a lead bowler. He has been with Mumbai Indians since the beginning, which also helps a player perform to the best of his abilities in every season.

Bumrah’s Dazzling IPL Performances

Let’s look at some of his best IPL performances over the years, other than the 3/7 he took against the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017.

1. Batting first against Delhi team in 2016, Mumbai scored a mammoth 206, thanks to Krunal Pandya’s 86 off 37 balls. Chasing 207 to win, Delhi was under pressure throughout the innings, and Bumrah took full advantage of the situation, picking up 3 wickets while conceding only 13 runs in his 4 overs. He took out the formidable middle-order duo of Rishabh Pant and JP Duminy and finished it off with tail-ender Amit Mishra’s innings. Delhi eventually folded for a low 126.
2. Mumbai had set up a steep 188 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore to chase and Bumrah started out uncharacteristically expensive, conceding 12 runs in his first over. But he showed his class in the death overs of the RCB innings when they were threatening to take the game away. He did not let the batsmen get away and dried up the runs, eventually choking RCB. He gave away just 8 runs in his last 3 overs while bagging the crucial wickets of Virat Kohli, Shimron Hetmeyer, and Colin De Grandhomme to become the man of the match and seal the deal for Mumbai.
3. Rising Pune Supergiants were asked to bat first by the Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma and Bumrah’s economical bowling. Taking wickets at regular intervals ensured that Pune was restricted to 159 runs in their 20 overs. He took the all-important wickets of Steve Smith, Saurabh Tiwary, and MS Dhoni, all three of whom were looking to let loose and close Pune’s innings on a high. Mumbai eventually comfortably chased the target with an over and a half to spare.
4. In the 5th match of the 2020 IPL against Kolkata Knight Riders, Bumrah did what he does best: take quick wickets. Put in to bat first by KKR’s Dinesh Karthik, Mumbai scored 195, primarily due to a vintage knock by captain Rohit Sharma. KKR stuttered in their chase from the start, but when Andre Russell and Eoin Morgan got together on the ground, it looked ominous for the Mumbai Indians. But Bumrah, who had bowled only one over in the initial powerplay, came back to put their chase to rest by taking both Morgan and Russell in a space of a few balls. Though he was taken to the cleaners in his last over, it didn’t matter because he had already done his job.

Owing to his excellent performances across formats and an intelligent cricketing mind, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is considered for captaincy in the near future, be it for his IPL team or the national team. Bumrah has proven himself to be a calm and composed customer under dire situations, smiling even when he is being taken for runs. All these qualities are the hallmark of a great captain. He also has the capability to lead by example through his bowling. If he does end up becoming the captain of a team, it would be a rare occurrence because there haven’t been a lot of bowler captains representing India or in general. The last bowler to captain India was the leg-spin wizard Anil Kumble, whose captaincy tenure was controversial yet quite successful.

Though a lot has been speculated about his bowling style and cricketing acumen, his fitness and dedication to the game of cricket haven’t received much attention as they should. He is one of the fastest runners in the team, age being on his side obviously. He has had to endure injuries, but he has worked hard on them and come back stronger than ever. It isn’t generally easy for bowlers to come back the same after injuries and some can be career-threatening, but Bumrah has handled them well by working overtime on his fitness. It is the most decisive factor in the longevity of a bowler’s career and he will have to make sure that he continues giving it adequate attention.

With India’s fast bowling department looking solid and menacing in a long time, it remains to be seen how it translates to wins for the country, especially abroad. The trio of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar can prove especially lethal in countries like England and Australia. Bumrah has given hope to Indian fans who were disappointed with the pace department before these three became a regular feature in the side. The Indian cricket team has felt a severe need of a settled fast-bowling team for long, and, along with Ishant Sharma, it seems that they have finally found a combination that can generate pace, bounce as well as fear in the hearts of batsmen all around the world. Bumrah has started out well, but these are still early days, and it remains to be seen how his cricketing career pans out. But with adequate support from the captain and the team management, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he represents India for a long time to come and is even made captain of the national side down the line.