Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah was born on 6 December 1993 into a Sikh Punjabi family in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.^[5] His father, Jasbir Singh, ran a chemical business, while his mother, Daljeet Bumrah, worked as a school teacher. His father passed away when Bumrah was 5 years old due to Hepatitis B.^[6][7] He was brought up by his mother in Ahmedabad, along with his sister Juhika, in a middle-class environment. Bumrah attended Nirman High School in Vastrapur, Ahmedabad, where his mother served as the vice principal. He also played cricket for Nirman's team.^[8][9][10]

In 2010, Bumrah appeared at the Gujarat Cricket Association's Under-19 district selection trials. However, the selectors did not include him in the main squad of 15 but named him as a reserve due to his unconventional bowling action. After the district team won the first three matches, all three reserve players were given a chance in the fourth three-day match. Bumrah took seven wickets in that match.^[11]

Bumrah made his T20 debut for Gujarat against Maharashtra in the 2012–13 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and also helped his side clinch the title with his Man of the Match performance. His figures of 3/14 were instrumental to Gujarat's win over Punjab in the final.^[12] On 18 March 2013, during the match against Mumbai, former India coach John Wright, who was then the head coach of Mumbai Indians and scouting for the team at the time, was impressed by Bumrah's performance and invited him to sign up for the franchise.^[10]

Bumrah played first-class cricket for Gujarat and made his debut against Vidarbha in October 2013 during the 2013–14 season, where he took seven wickets for 89 runs.^[13] During the 2015–16 Vijay Hazare Trophy, after the first two matches, the umpires called him for throwing and raised objections about his bowling action. Although the issue was resolved when the team management protested against it.^[11] Gujarat won the trophy, with Bumrah taking a five-wicket haul in the final against Delhi.^[14] On 11 December 2020, he scored his maiden first-class half century (55*) against Australia A during the India tour of Australia.^[15]

2016–2017: International debut

Bumrah made his ODI debut in January 2016 against Australia in the last match of the series, where he took his maiden ODI wicket – that of Steve Smith – and finished with figures of 2/40.^[17] He made his T20I debut on the same tour in the first match of the series, taking his maiden T20I wicket – that of David Warner – and finished with figures of 3/23. India won the series with Bumrah finishing as the highest wicket-taker of the series with six wickets.^[18] In February 2016, he took three wickets in the T20I series against Sri Lanka.^[19]

Bumrah was named in India's 15-man squad for the 2016 ICC World Twenty20. He took a wicket in every single match of the tournament except against Bangladesh. In the semi-final, against West Indies, he took the important wicket of Chris Gayle but also gave away 42 runs, having an economy rate of 10.50.^[20] India lost the semi-final, and Bumrah finished the tournament with four wickets at an average of 38.25 and an economy rate of 7.65.^[21]

In India's tour of Zimbabwe in 2016, during the first match of the ODI series, Bumrah, who was playing his second ODI game, took 4 wickets for 28 runs.^[22] He was the highest wicket-taker of the series with 9 wickets, including another four-wicket haul in the third match.^[23][24] During the T20I series, he was the second highest wicket-taker with five wickets, including a three-wicket haul in the second match.^[25][26] In the two-match T20I series against West Indies in August 2016, he became the bowler to claim the most wickets (28) in Twenty20 Internationals in one calendar year, surpassing the record of Dirk Nannes.^[27] In October 2016, when New Zealand toured India, Bumrah took six wickets in the ODI series at an average of 22.00.^[28]

In January 2017, in the second match of the T20I series during England's 2016–17 tour of India, Bumrah picked up two wickets, conceded 20 runs, and was awarded the Player of the Match. He emerged as the second leading wicket-taker of the series, with five wickets in a 2–1 victory.^[29][30] In the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, he went wicketless in the first two matches of the tournament. India lost the final against Pakistan, and Bumrah finished the tournament as the second leading wicket-taker for India, after Bhuvneshwar Kumar.^[31] During the 2017 Sri Lanka tour, Bumrah recorded the most wickets (15) taken by any fast bowler in a bilateral ODI series of five or fewer matches.^[32] In February 2018, he became the highest-ranked bowler in the ICC Men's ODI player rankings, along with Afghanistani leg-spinner Rashid Khan.^[33]

2018–2019: Test debut and World Cup

In November 2017, he was named in India's Test squad for their series against South Africa.^[34] He made his Test debut for India against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town on 5 January 2018.^[35] In the third match of the series, at Johannesburg, Bumrah took his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests, with the figures of 5/54 from 18.5 overs.^[36] South Africa won the series 2–1. Bumrah was the second highest wicket-taker for India behind teammate Mohammed Shami.^[37]

In June 2018, in the first match of India's tour of Ireland, Bumrah fractured his left thumb, causing him to miss the remainder of the tour and the first two Test matches of the 2018 Pataudi Trophy.^[38][39] He returned for the third Test match at Trent Bridge, where he took his second five-wicket haul and finished with figures of 5/85 from 29 overs.^[40] He was the fifth leading wicket-taker of the series with 14 wickets from three matches, in a series where India faced a 4–1 defeat.^[41]

During the Boxing Day Test of India Tour of Australia 2018, with career-best figures of 6/33, Bumrah became the first Asian bowler to take five-wicket hauls in Australia, England, and South Africa in the same calendar year.^[42] Overall, he finished the series as the joint highest wicket-taker with 21 wickets, alongside Australian bowler Nathan Lyon, which India won 2–1.^[43] He concluded the year with 48 wickets, setting a record for an Indian bowler in his debut year in Test cricket.^[44][45] For his performances in 2018, he was named in both the World Test XI and ODI XI by the ICC.^[46]

In April 2019, he was named in India's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.^[47][48] On 6 July 2019, in the match against Sri Lanka, Bumrah, in his 57th career match, took his 100th wicket in ODIs and became the second-fastest Indian to do so after his teammate, Mohammed Shami.^[49][50] He finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker for India and the fifth highest overall, with eighteen dismissals in nine matches.^[51] India lost to New Zealand in semi-final. Bumrah was named in the 'Team of the Tournament' by the ICC and ESPNcricinfo.^[52][53]

In August 2019, Bumrah took his fourth Test five-wicket haul against West Indies in the first Test match of India tour of West Indies 2019, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, with figures of 5/7 in the 2nd innings.^[54] In the second Test match, he became the third Indian to take a hat-trick in a Test match.^[55] India whitewashed West Indies 2–0, with Bumrah finishing as the highest wicket-taker of the series with 13 wickets.^[56] In September 2019, Bumrah was ruled out of South Africa's tour of India due to a stress fracture.^[57]

2020–2022: Test in India and T20 World Cup

In December 2020, Bumrah was named in the ICC Men's T20I Team of the Decade for 2011–2020.^[58] In January 2021, He was ruled out of the final Test match at the Gabba of the 2020 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, due to a abdominal strain, which he picked up during the third Test of the series in Sydney.^[59] At Sydney, Bumrah faced racist abuse from the crowd, prompting India to file a formal complaint at the end of day three. Subsequently, Cricket Australia issued an apology to the Indian team.^[60] India won the final test, securing victory in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Bumrah was the fifth highest wicket-taker of the series with 11 wickets.^[61] He played his maiden Test match in India in the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium against England in February 2021 after playing 17 Tests overseas. His maiden Test wicket in India was of Daniel Lawrence in England Tour of India 2021.^[62][63][64] Bumrah was part of the Indian team that played the 2021 ICC World Test Championship Final against New Zealand. He went wicketless in the match, which India lost by 8 wickets.^[65]

In the 2021 India tour of England, Bumrah was the highest wicket-taker of the series with 23 wickets. He was the player of the series along with England's Joe Root.^[66] In the last match of the series, which was postponed to July 2022 due to COVID-19 cases in the Indian camp, Bumrah captained the Indian Test team for the first time instead of Rohit Sharma, who was ruled out due to suffering from COVID-19.^[67] He scored 29 runs in an over bowled by Stuart Broad, beating the 18-year-old Test record set by Brian Lara (who had scored 28 runs in an over). The over also included six extras, meaning it cost a total of 35 runs.^[68] In September 2021, Bumrah was named in India's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.^[69] He was one of the only three fast bowlers in the main squad, the other two being Mohammed Shami and the white-ball specialist, Bhuvneshwar Kumar. India was knocked out of the tournament without reaching the semi-finals.^[70]

In February 2022, Bumrah was named vice-captain of India for the T20I and Test series against Sri Lanka as the regular vice-captain, KL Rahul, was unavailable.^[71] He took his maiden Test five-wicket haul in India during the second match of the series.^[72] In April 2022, Bumrah was among the Wisden Five Cricketers of the Year for that year.^[73] During the 2022 India Tour of England, in the first match of the series, he took 6 wicket for 19 runs, India's best figures against England,^[74] and the third best figures for India in ODIs.^[75] In July 2022, Bumrah regained the number one spot in the ICC Men's ODI player rankings.^[76] In August 2022, Bumrah missed the 2022 Asia Cup due to a back injury.^[77] Later in October 2022, He was ruled out of 2022 T20 World Cup. He featured in two of the three T20Is against Australia but was pulled out on the eve of the South Africa series, India's last before the World Cup, after he complained of back pain.^[78]

2023–present

In January 2023, Bumrah missed the home series against Sri Lanka due to his back injury. He underwent back surgery in March 2023. He also missed the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final against Australia in June 2023.^[79] In August 2023, after nearly a year, Bumrah made his comeback to international cricket as India's captain in the series against Ireland.^[80] Bumrah was the player of the series, which India won 2-0.^[81]

On 21 August 2023, Bumrah was named in India's squad for the 2023 Asia Cup. He played his first match in this series against Pakistan, scoring 16 runs off 14 balls, but the match was abandoned due to rain.^[82] He was replaced by Mohammed Shami for the match against Nepal because he flew back to Mumbai due to personal reasons.^[83] India won the tournament by beating Sri Lanka in the final. Bumrah played four matches and took four wickets, averaging 17.75 with an economy rate of 4.17 runs per over.^[84][85]

In September 2023, Bumrah was named in India's 15-man squad for 2023 Cricket World Cup.^[86] In the match against Afghanistan at Delhi, he took a four-wicket haul at an economy rate of 3.90.^[87] In the final, against Australia at Ahmedabad, he took 2 wickets for 43 runs at an economy rate of 4.77.^[88] India lost the final, and Bumrah finished as the fourth leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 20 wickets.^[89]

On 3 February 2024, during England's tour of India, in the second match of the series, Bumrah became the joint third-fastest (34 matches) Indian bowler and the fastest Indian pacer to take 150 wickets in Test cricket.^[90][91] He took 6 wickets for 45 runs, his third-best bowling figure in Tests, and was awarded the Player of the Match award.^[92][93] He became the first Indian fast bowler to reach the number one ranking in the ICC Test player rankings and the first bowler to achieve the number one ranking in all three formats of the game.^[94] He took 19 wickets in four matches and emerged as the third-highest wicket-taker of the series, behind Ravichandran Ashwin of India and Tom Hartley of England.^[95]

During the 2013–14 season of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, John Wright, who was then the head coach of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Mumbai Indians (MI) and scouting for the team at the time, was impressed by Bumrah's performance and invited him to sign up for the franchise.^[10] Bumrah has played for the Mumbai Indians since 2013 IPL and helped the team win the title five times in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.^[96] He has taken 145 wickets in 120 matches in the IPL, with an average of 23.30 and an economy rate of 7.39, making him the second-highest wicket-taker for the team after Lasith Malinga.^[97] He has one five-wicket haul and two four-wicket hauls in the league.^[98]

Bumrah made his IPL debut at the age of 19, where he concluded with figures of 3/32 against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Despite Virat Kohli hitting him for three fours in his first four deliveries of the IPL, Bumrah managed to dismiss him on the fifth ball, with Kohli scoring 24 runs and Bumrah securing his maiden IPL wicket.^[99][100] He was then benched for the remainder of the season and only played in the match against the Delhi Daredevils, where he failed to take a wicket.^[101] Despite only playing 2 matches in the 2013 season, the Mumbai Indians retained him for the 2014 season.^[102] He went wicketless in his first two matches of the 2014 season. However, in the match against RCB, he took two wickets for 22 runs at an economy rate of 5.50, including the crucial wicket of AB de Villiers.^[103] It was his best bowling figures of the season. He played in 11 of Mumbai's 15 matches and finished as the team's fifth leading wicket-taker of the season, securing five wickets at an economy rate of 7.58 and an average of 60.20.^[104] MI retained Bumrah once again ahead of the 2015 Indian Premier League.^[105] Bumrah played in only four of MI's sixteen matches and took three wickets at an economy rate of 12.26.^[106]

In the 2016 Indian Premier League, Bumrah took four 3-wicket hauls in the season and was the team's second-leading wicket-taker, after Mitchell McClenaghan, with fifteen wickets.^[107][108] His best figures came in the match against Delhi Daredevils at Visakhapatnam, where he took three wickets for thirteen runs, having an economy rate of 3.25 runs per over.^[109] In the 2017 season, he became the leading wicket-taker for the team and the third-leading wicket-taker of the tournament, taking 20 wickets.^[110][111] Bumrah defended 12 runs in a super over in a match against the Gujarat Lions at Rajkot.^[112] In the 2nd qualifier match against Kolkata Knight Riders, at Bengaluru, Bumrah finished with figures of 3/7, the second-best bowling figures for Mumbai Indians that season.^[113] In the final against Rising Pune Supergiant at Hyderabad, Bumrah took two wickets, including the wicket of MS Dhoni, and helped the team lift the trophy.^[114]

Bumrah began his 2018 IPL campaign with a single dismissal in the first match against the Chennai Super Kings, finishing with figures of 1/37.^[116] His best performance came in the match against the Kings XI Punjab, where he took 3 wickets for 15 runs at an economy rate of 3.75 runs per over, earning him the player of the match award.^[117] In the match against RCB in Mumbai, he took his 50th wicket of his IPL career, dismissing Chris Woakes.^[118] Bumrah took 17 wickets in the season, making him the second leading wicket-taker for Mumbai, behind Hardik Pandya.^[119] In the 2019 season of the IPL, Bumrah suffered a shoulder injury in the first match against Delhi Capitals. However, he was declared fit the next day and continued to play for the rest of the season.^[120] In the match against RCB, he was awarded the player of the match for taking 3 wickets for 20 runs.^[121] In the final against Chennai Super Kings at Uppal stadium, Bumrah conceded 14 runs, took two wickets (Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo), and was awarded the player of the match. Following his performance in the final, Sachin Tendulkar called him the best bowler in the world.^[115] He finished the season as the leading wicket-taker for the Mumbai Indians, taking 19 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 21.52 and an economy rate of 6.63 runs per over.^[122]

In the 2020 IPL, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic,^[123] he took his highest number of wickets in a season, with 27 wickets, making him the highest wicket-taker for the Mumbai Indians and the second-highest wicket-taker of the season behind Kagiso Rabada of Delhi Capitals.^[124][125] He took two four-wicket hauls in the season.^[126] During the match against RCB at Abu Dhabi, he became the 16th bowler to pick 100 wickets in the IPL with the wicket of Virat Kohli.^[127] In the qualifier against Delhi Capitals, he took 4 wickets for 14 runs and won the player of the match award.^[128] Bumrah was once again the leading wicket-taker for his team in the 2021 season with 21 wickets in 14 matches and was the third-highest wicket-taker of the season.^[129][130] On 19 September 2021, in the match against CSK, Bumrah played in his 100th IPL match.^[131] In the 2022 season, Bumrah took 15 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 25.53 and an economy rate of 7.18, making him the highest wicket-taker for Mumbai.^[132] He took a five-wicket haul during the match against Kolkata Knight Riders in Navi Mumbai, finishing with figures of 5/10, the best figures of his IPL career.^[133] Bumrah was ruled out of the 2023 season of the IPL due to a back injury.^[134]

Bumrah gained prominence with his unorthodox action, and hyperextended elbows.^[135] His run-up is short, the first part of which consists of small, stuttering strides. He has an anomalous, stiff-armed action yet generates high pace, and his unusual point of release makes it difficult for the batsmen to read his bowling. Accordingly, the Indian team often uses him in powerplay and death overs.^[136] He bowls outside the off-stump, yorkers and short length balls frequently.^[137][138] According to former international bowler Shoaib Akhtar, Bumrah's bowling action has the potential to cause back injuries. Bumrah's front-on bowling action means that bowlers like him generate speed primarily from their shoulders and back, increasing the risk of injury.^[139]

Bumrah targets the stumps more often than any other bowler at his pace, nearly 138 kilometres per hour (86 mph). He bowls nearly 43% of his deliveries with good line and length.^[141] Bumrah has the highest pace among bowlers who find good line and length more frequently.^[142][143] Additionally, he utilizes lateral movement of the ball in his deliveries, capable of swinging it both ways and using reverse swing, especially in Indian conditions.^[144]

Bumrah has earned a reputation for his late-swinging yorker, which he says he learned by practicing with a tennis ball.^[143][145] Bumrah has grown into an asset for the Indian team in the limited-overs format.^{[146][147][148]} He is considered one of the fastest Indian bowlers, with an average speed of 142 km/h and his fastest recorded speed being 153 km/h. He achieved this feat during the first Test match of the India Tour of Australia 2018 at the Adelaide Oval, outpacing Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.^[149][150]

"My all-time favourite bowlers are Mitchell Johnson, Wasim Akram and Brett Lee. I used to watch their videos and learn from them. I have learnt a lot from Johnson, and Malinga too. I try to learn from any senior bowlers who have played international cricket."

— Bumrah^[151]

Mumbai Indians bowling coach and former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond said: "Boom's action, though unique, is repeatable. He has great control."^[10] Former Indian fast bowler Ashish Nehra also commented on Bumrah's bowling action, stating, "What you do in 75–80% of your run-up, nothing matters. It's the last 15–20%, the last four-five steps, which is the main thing. That is bowling. Bumrah runs differently, but in his last three-four steps – he is loading, front leg, back leg, everything is in alignment, and he is quick through the air."^[10]

Personal life

On 15 March 2021, Bumrah married model and presenter Sanjana Ganesan in Goa.^[152] Hailing from Pune, Maharashtra, Ganesan is a former Miss India finalist and was also a participant in MTV's Splitsvilla in 2014.^[153] Bumrah and Ganesan first met in an interview during the 2013 Indian Premier League. They became friends after that first meeting, and after dating for two years, they finally married in 2021.^[154] On 4 September 2023, the couple welcomed their son.^[155]

Public image

Bumrah has nearly 25 million followers on social media, with nearly 11 million alone on Instagram, which is the highest social media following among bowlers in the world. Financial advisory firm Kroll placed Bumrah in the top 45 most valued celebrities of the country, with an estimated brand value of ₹100 crore (equivalent to ₹106 crore or US$13 million in 2023) in the year 2022. He was the only bowler in the top 50.^[156] As of August 2023^[update], he charges in the range of ₹1.5 to ₹2 crore a day for an endorsement. His brand value is estimated to increase by 25 to 30 percent in the next 12 months.^[157] Forbes India included Bumrah in its Celebrity 100 list in the years 2018 and 2019.^[158][159]

Bumrah was awarded the Polly Umrigar Award for International Cricketer of the Year twice, in 2018–19 and 2021–22 at the BCCI Awards.^[160] Additionally, he received the Dilip Sardesai Award for taking the highest number of wickets in Test cricket in 2018-19.^[161] For his achievements during India's tour of England in 2021, he was selected by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in its 2022 edition.^[162] Bumrah was conferred with The Times of India TOISA Cricketer of the Year award in 2021.^[163]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jasprit Bumrah.

• Jasprit Bumrah at ESPNcricinfo
• Jasprit Bumrah's profile page on Wisden