Published: May 03, 2017, 04:55 PM (IST)
Edited: May 03, 2017, 04:55 PM (IST)
Jasprit Bumrah‘s rise in the last year and half has been phenomenal. Representing a team at a global stage requires talent as well as the ability to hold one’s nerves. For the death-over bowlers, staying calm is a priority amidst the pandemonium of the ground. While Mumbai Indians’ (MI) Bumrah is known to be a calm-headed death-over specialist, his parents, the bowler reveals, is different to him. So, when Bumrah was busy taking his side to victory against Gujarat Lions (GL) with his impeccable bowling in the Super-Over, his parents opted to skip watching it and instead prayed for him to do well. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Match 38 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Speaking to Times of India, Bumrah revealed, “They weren’t watching, because whenever such a thing happens, my mom can’t watch, she starts to pray all the time! My family wasn’t able to watch it, because it was too much tension for them to bear. My friends ask me all the time: `How do you deal with so much pressure? We’ll faint if we were in your place.’ I tell them that this is my job, this is what I get paid for.”
The young gun from Ahmedabad has now taken over the mantle from his ageing teammate Lasith Malinga, who has been a guru of sorts for the 23-year-old. Bumrah elaborates on how he developed his unique ability to bowl yorkers consistently, which makes him perhaps the best death-overs bowler in the world.
“In the IPL, this was the most high-pressure situation I’ve faced so far, because I’ve never bowled a super over in my life. However, I spoke to myself: `Keep calm. Don’t panic. Stick to your plan.’ This is what I try to do whenever I’m in a pressure situation,” Bumrah added.
