Ishant Sharma unveils hidden truth about his role in Jasprit Bumrah's debut: 'Uss time woh properly bhaagta tha'

Ishant Sharma revealed an anecdote about Jasprit Bumrah from before the latter's ODI debut in 2016.

Jasprit Bumrah stands today as the undisputed spearhead of India’s pace attack. He's a bowler feared across formats, capable of dismantling batting line-ups in any corner of the world. His awkward, whip-like action and pinpoint precision have made him a nightmare for opponents and a priceless weapon for the national side. While his unique style has also invited injury concerns and constant workload monitoring, a fully fit Bumrah remains India’s most reliable match-winner.

Jasprit Bumrah (L) training with Ishant Sharma (c) and Hardik Pandya (PTI)

Bumrah’s journey in international cricket began with his ODI debut against Australia in January 2016, and from there, he became a permanent fixture across all formats. But according to long-time pace partner Ishant Sharma, there’s a lesser-known twist to the story of Bumrah’s rise. In a chat with former cricketer Padamjeet Sehrawat on YouTube, Ishant recalled a moment from the 2015 Vijay Hazare Trophy final: a spell from Bumrah that left such an impression, it may have quietly accelerated his entry into the Indian team.

Ishant was part of Delhi's team in the final against Gujarat, where Bumrah picked a five-wicket haul in his side's massive 139-run win to clinch the title. Ishant revealed that Bumrah, at the time, didn't have the same action as he does today, but was very effective regardless.

“I remember we were playing the List A match, I think it was in 2016 (2015). We were playing the final in Bengaluru, Delhi vs Gujarat. Uss time vo bhaagta tha, properly bhaagte hue bowling karta tha. Abhi jaisa (slow) nahi (At that time, he used to have a proper fast bowler's run-up, not like how he does it today). He picked five wickets in that game,” Ishant said as he narrated the story.

“After that, we went to Australia. I told Ravi bhai, 'If we need anyone in this team, it's Jasprit Bumrah'. I told him about Bumrah's action and his bowling. Ravi bhai was the mentor of the team. And look at his luck... someone got injured, and Bumrah came into the team. From there till now, his mindset and self-belief makes him stand out,” Ishant said.

Bumrah's ODI debut

Bumrah made his debut after Bhuvneshwar Kumar suffered an injury before the final ODI of the series. He enjoyed an impressive outing in the game, registering figures of 2/40 in 10 overs and helping India clinch a six-wicket win; the side's only win of the five-match series. Bumrah wasn't initially part of the ODI squad, but was drafted in as a late replacement for Bhuvneshwar's injury.

Ishant was also part of the playing XI in the ODI.