Jasprit Bumrah

Now one of India’s most reliable limited-overs performers and solving an age-old problem for his side’s death bowling, Bumrah not only possesses a wicket-taking ability but also exceptional control

The Cricketer | 04/05/2019 at 06:08

Born: December 6, 1993

Role: Right-hand bat, right-arm fast-medium

His unorthodox action may have been the initial reason Jasprit Bumrah’s name was banded around cricketing spheres, but the fast bowler has now become far more revered for his skill set.

Developing an uncanny knack of bowling toe-crunching conventional and reverse-swing yorkers like Mumbai Indians teammate Lasith Malinga, the scantily-built bowler has been a consistent and terrorising threat in the Ranji Trophy ever since his debut for Gujarat in 2012.

The combination of his efforts with Gujarat and Mumbai made it seem as though a call-up nationally was just around a corner, but a left knee injury curtailed that dream for four-and-a-half months.

But his chance did arrive in January 2016 in place of the injured Mohammed Shami at the SCG after Bumrah himself had returned from injury unaffected, and his T20I bow came three days later in Adelaide.

Now one of India’s most reliable limited-overs performers and solving an age-old problem for his side’s death bowling, Bumrah not only possesses a wicket-taking ability, as a 4-35 against West Indies last year demonstrated, but also exceptional control, going at just five runs an over during the 2017 Champions Trophy.

Having made a staggering start to life in Test cricket from January 2018 onwards, which including breaking the record for the most wickets taken in overseas Tests by an Indian bowler in a single year, Bumrah will hope that he can build on his 18 wickets already in England at the World Cup and make it his most successful trip there to date.

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