‘Helpful’ Nehra will light up dressing room, says Bumrah
RANCHI: Jasprit Bumrah has become India’s premium fast bowler in the limited-overs formats in a short time. Despite the presence of more experienced pacers, it is Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar who are preferred in the blue jersey. And they have met the expectations too.
With India set to play six ODIs and nine T20s this year, Bumrah will be expected to carry the lion’s share of the burden to maintain India’s winning momentum.
On the eve of India’s first T20I against Australia in Ranchi, the 23-year-old pacer acknowledged the responsibility that comes with playing for India, irrespective of formats. And he said it was up to the individuals to make use of the chances.
“When you are playing for India, you don’t need any kind of (extra) drive because you are very happy. Any format, you love representing your country. Whenever you are playing for India, you have a responsibility, you have to live up to it,” said Bumrah.
“ODI and T20 cricket are slightly different, but in the situations where I bowl, it’s similar because of the death overs.”
Bumrah is part of an Indian cricket team that emphasises on fitness like never before. From captain Virat Kohli to coach Ravi Shastri to chief selector MSK Prasad, the Indian cricket team has put fitness above everything else.
In fact, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina have reportedly not been able to make the national squad due to poor fitness.
When asked if the pressure on a fast bowler is more to maintain fitness, Bumrah said: “Everybody requires fitness nowadays. It’s not only the fast bowlers. With the amount of cricket we are playing these days, everybody has to be fit.
It’s the responsibility of every individual to keep themselves fit, to look after the diet and training. The fast bowlers need to put in extra effort sometimes, but if you are not fit, you won’t be able to survive.”
Ashish Nehra made a comeback at 38 and Bumrah was happy to be guided by the left-arm pacer. “He is a experienced player. We played together at the WT20 as well. I enjoy playing with him. He is very helpful to youngsters like me,”
he said.