League: Cricket
In a recent interview with The Indian Express on their YouTube channel, India‘s star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah shared insights into his career and revealed his favourite wicket. During the conversation, Bumrah was asked about the one wicket that brings a smile. Reflecting on his illustrious career, there were five significant wickets, each with a special story.
Bumrah was asked about his five memorable wickets, mentioning the names of Ollie Pope, Shaun Marsh, Mohammad Rizwan, Ollie Robinson, and Virat Kohli. He was then asked which of these wickets was his favourite.
Bumrah took the name of his teammate and former Indian captain, Kohli. Bumrah had picked up this wicket early in his career during the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2013 when he was just 19 years old. In a match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore, young Bumrah managed to outfox Kohli, marking a significant moment in his budding career.
Reflecting on this, Bumrah said, “I think I will take Virat Kohli; I was 19 years old, still convincing myself that I belong here.”
Bumrah has dismissed Kohli five times in 16 IPL innings, with Kohli scoring 140 runs against him. This statistic highlights the intense battles between the two Indian cricket stalwarts over the years.
Speaking about his other memorable wickets, the dismissal of England’s Pope has to be one of the finest. During the series in England in January 2024, Bumrah bowled Pope with an absolutely brilliant yorker, showcasing his precision and skill throughout the tour.
Another wicket was of Australia‘s Marsh, whom Bumrah dismissed the Aussie with an lbw during the India Tour of Australia in December 2018. Using a slower delivery, this wicket demonstrated Bumrah’s ability to perform under pressure in foreign conditions.
Next name was Pakistan‘s Rizwan, whose wicket Bumrah took in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. A length ball slanted in, stayed quite low, and went under Rizwan’s bat as he swiped across the line, rattling the off and middle stumps. This crucial dismissal played a pivotal role in India’s victory in a nail-biting match. Another notable wicket Bumrah mentioned was that of England’s Robinson. During India’s tour of England in 2021, specifically in the second Test match at Lord’s, Bumrah trapped Robinson lbw with a slower ball pitched up, hitting Robinson on the back leg.
Bumrah’s recent accolade as the Player of the Tournament in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 further solidifies his status as one of the best bowlers in the world. His exceptional performance in the tournament, where he took 15 wickets in eight matches with an economy rate of 4.17, demonstrated his ability to shine on the global stage.