(Source X)
Recently, Team India pacer Jasprit Bumrah reflected on his early experiences with the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Bumrah shared that he initially relied heavily on captain Rohit Sharma for field placements but eventually realized the importance of honing his own skills and not depending solely on others.
Bumrah began his IPL career with Mumbai in the 2013 season, where he took only three wickets at a high economy rate of 10. His performance improved slightly in 2014, with five wickets in 11 matches and an economy rate of 7.59. Despite a lackluster 2015 season, Rohit Sharma continued to support Bumrah.
Over the following seasons, the Gujarat pacer became a vital asset for Mumbai Indians. His international debut came in 2016 in ODIs and T20Is in Australia. In the IPL, Bumrah has accumulated 165 wickets in 133 matches, maintaining an average of 22.52 and an economy rate of 7.30, with his best bowling figures being 5/10.
During his appearance on the Indian Express Adda show, Jasprit Bumrah opened up about his initial experiences with the Mumbai Indians. He confessed that he initially relied on Rohit Sharma for setting field placements. Bumrah acknowledged that, with time, he came to understand the importance of developing his own skills instead of depending too much on others.
“When I came into cricket, I actually didn’t know a lot. When I started playing in the IPL as well, I even used to go and tell Rohit that you set the field, I don’t know where the ball… I am going to bowl this ball. You set the field and I trust you. Whatever you feel is right, you set the field. Slowly, I realized that I cannot be overly dependent on someone because I have to learn my own craft,” Bumrah said.
Bumrah was instrumental in India’s victory at the 2024 T20 World Cup last month. The right-arm pacer claimed 15 wickets, maintaining an impressive economy rate of 4.18, and was honored as the “Player of the Tournament” for his exceptional bowling. In contrast, Rohit Sharma emerged as India’s top run-scorer throughout the World Cup.
Jasprit Bumrah commended Rohit Sharma for fostering a supportive environment for young players during the England series earlier this year. He revealed that Rohit went above and beyond to mentor the newcomers, encouraging them to step up and embrace their responsibilities.
“In the recent England series, when the youngsters came – Rohit made the atmosphere very comfortable, he took extra effort, he will take them out, he will talk to them about the game, he will try & push them to take the responsibility as the youngsters should think all are equally important, there is no senior – junior”.
The 30-year-old remarked that Rohit Sharma has grown significantly as a captain by learning from his past errors. Bumrah expressed his sense of privilege in having the opportunity to play under Rohit’s leadership for an extended period.
“There is so much to learn from Rohit Sharma, how he has evolved as a captain – he has learned from mistakes, opened to feedback, he is not rigid, listens to everyone then finally filters it out – I am grateful & privileged to play under his captaincy for a long time.”
