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Bumrah says bizarre action led people to believe he’d never play for India

Bumrah
by Wisden Staff 1 minute read

India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has revealed the apprehensions around his potential to play at the highest level, owing to his unusual action.

In an Instagram live chat with former India batsman Yuvraj Singh, the No.2-ranked ODI bowler said that it was often suggested to him that he would never play for India.

“Many people told me that I won’t play for long, there was an expectation that the last person to play for the country would be me,” Bumrah said.

“They told me that I would just play the Ranji Trophy. But I kept on improving and I persisted with my action.”

While he did first draw attention with his unorthodox action, Bumrah’s skills soon took centre-stage, as he announced his talents to the world at the Indian Premier League, where he learned his trade from one of the best white-ball practitioners in Lasith Malinga, before making his India debut in January 2016.

Bumrah arrived carrying the initial perception of being a white-ball specialist, much like Malinga, and possessed a similar ability to hit the blockhole at demand.

However, his first-class record, which had largely been unheralded was already top-notch, and Bumrah soon proved to the world that he is more than a one-dimensional limited-overs death specialist, playing 16 Tests for India so far, picking 68 wickets.

Bumrah has snared over 200 international wickets in his four-year international career. He was also ranked world No.1 in ODIs before being displaced from the position by New Zealander Trent Boult.

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