Jasprit Bumrah is very quickly becoming a cricketing hero back in India. The bowler has gained quite a large fan base, and he praised his unique style, the way he approaches bowling, as well as his general persona on and off the pitch.
Considering he is from India, a country where fans go all out to support their team, as well as having high expectations for the players, he is most certainly a standout figure, and this post will go through why so many people love him.
His Perseverance
India and Indian people absolutely adore cricket, and the competition is insane, even when players are young and you are wanting to play for a club. It requires you to work hard every single day, and to simply be better than everyone else. Bumrah has been praised by teammates and coaches alike for his perseverance. He lost his father at a young age, and had to end up teaching himself how to play, unlike other kids in India whose fathers would be there for them. He would practice with a rubber ball, by himself or with a few friends, in a tiny lot behind his house. The plot was so small that he could only have an eight-step run-up, which is why his run-up is still surprisingly short now. He is almost completely self-taught, incredibly unusual for a player at his level.
His Style
Any cricket fan will tell you that no matter who the player is, there is also some joy involved in watching a proper fast bowler, bowl a controlled, quick delivery. Bumrah’s style of bowling is unique to say the least. As mentioned already, his incredibly short run-up. It is very unusual for a fast-bowler to have a run-up that short, let alone having a short run-up and still be able to produce the pace that Bumrah has.
Shane Bond, the Mumbai Indian’s bowling coach, has also described his technique as very unusual, but incredibly efficient and deadly. Considering he already has 83 wickets in 18 test matches, this man is almost unstoppable.
His Talent
Jasprit Bumrah’s talent is undeniable. He is able to get wickets when his team needs them the most, as well as pressuring batsmen, forcing mistakes, and is able to bowl dot balls with his eyes closed, he really is any team’s dream bowler. He is the first Asian bowler to take 5 wickets in a test series in South Africa, England, and Australia, in the same calendar year. An incredible feat when you think about the bowlers that have come before him, that weren’t able to do that.
He is also the third-highest wicket-taker in test matches in his debut year, with 48 wickets in 8 games. Once again, a ridiculous statistic that speaks volumes. He is also able to bowl multiple types of deliveries, all with incredible accuracy.
His Calm Nature
The thing that separates good bowlers, from great bowlers, is their ability to not make mistakes, and keep a clear head when the pressure is as high as it can be. Jasprit Bumrah has this ability, and everybody knows it.
He has shown to have the skills to be able to bowl at the death, as well as the ability, even when under severe pressure, to bowl a perfect yorker, or a great slow ball to force a mistake. These balls are difficult to bowl, but Bumrah just seems to be able to pull them off, no matter the situation. On the other hand, if he is getting hit all over the field, he doesn’t lose his temperament, he almost thrives off of it, and takes his bowling to the next level to ensure the batsman is either bowled out, or doesn’t hit him for another boundary.
This is a “skill” that is so vital for bowlers, and sometimes takes years for some players to master, yet Bumrah just seems like a natural.
His Commitment
This is most likely not a surprise to anyone who has watched him play, but his commitment and passion for the game is truly amazing. Considering the path he had to take to get where he is, no formal training or coaching, and completely relying on himself, you need extreme amounts of passion to stick with it.
You can see this on the field as well, he hardly ever makes the same mistake twice, and dedicates himself, even during a game, to fixing his mistakes and making the next ball he bowls, better than the previous.
Jasprit Bumrah has already made a name for himself in the world of cricket. He has been in the game for about 5 years now, and is still only 27 years old, he still has a number of years ahead of him before he has to hang up his boots. Right now, all he needs to do is focus on staying fit, and if he continues playing the way he does, he will find himself on the list of legends that India has produced, right up there with the Kumble’s and Dev’s of the world.
