Jasprit Bumrah has grown into one of the finest bowlers in the game, with his consistency across formats putting him in the conversation among the greats at just 32. His ability to pick up wickets in any situation stands out, especially when the pressure is high. Bumrah’s control over line and length forces batters onto the back foot, while his unorthodox action makes him even harder to read. He has delivered standout performances in red-ball cricket, particularly in England and Australia, where conditions often test even the best. In white-ball cricket, too, he has been a key figure, playing a major role in India’s back-to-back T20 World Cup wins with his reliability and knack for breakthroughs.
Veteran India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh shared a striking anecdote that showed just how lethal Jasprit Bumrah was even at 16. He admitted that during his comeback phase, Bumrah’s fiery spells in the nets were so intense they briefly threw him off his rhythm, highlighting the youngster’s impact even back then.
“When I was trying to make a comeback in the Indian team after battling cancer, I was trying to get back into cricket, and Bumrah was about 16 years old and he was bowling rapid in the nets. And I was like, ‘I want this kid out of the nets’ and ‘stop bowling to me’. I was like, ‘Kid, stop! Whoever you are.’ Because I was just trying to make a comeback from cancer, was just trying to get into my zone. And this guy was just bowling lethal,” Yuvraj told Vaughan on The Overlap Cricket.
Yuvraj added: “Bumrah came and told me this story later on, that I asked him to stop bowling to him. And I was like, ‘yeah, because you were bowling too quick.’”
{{/usCountry}}Yuvraj added: “Bumrah came and told me this story later on, that I asked him to stop bowling to him. And I was like, ‘yeah, because you were bowling too quick.’”
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Continuing his recollection, Yuvraj also highlighted how Bumrah has evolved over the years, pointing out the raw pace and awkward bounce that made him a handful even as a teenager, long before he developed the complete skill set he possesses today.
“He definitely had a longer run up. I don’t think he would had so much skill, but he was quick. Extremely quick and with his action he’s got this deceptive bounce. He just keeps on getting into your ribs all the time. You don’t like that!" he added.
“Batters scared to go after Jasprit Bumrah”
Yuvraj went a step further in his praise for Indian paceman, hailing him as the best in the game right now and placing him in the bracket of all-time greats, citing the fear he creates among batters and his unmatched control.
“If you look at the way the game is evolving, he has to be the best because batsmen are not going after him. They’re like scared to go after him; they feel like it’s best to just rotate the strike and hit the other bowlers. And the moment they want to go after him, he doesn’t allow them. He’s just really smart. Obviously he’s got a great skill as well and he’s got a deceptive action. It’s hard to pick his slower one out of his hand," he added.