In an interview with the International Cricket Council (ICC), Bumrah discussed his injury recovery, the reason he keeps a simple communication line open with his younger teammates, and how repetition is the secret to his yorker skill.
Given that the right-armer has recovered flawlessly from a significant back injury over the past 12 months, Bumrah is considered to be a crucial component of India’s hopes of winning a second ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies this month.
Bumrah missed a significant amount of international cricket between 2022 and 2023, which made the fast bowler-who was praised as one of the best to play for India-miss the most recent T20 World Cup in 2022 as well as other significant matches.
But the top bowler returned with a T20I series against Ireland in August of last year, and he hasn’t looked back since.
During India’s journey to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final, he was among the finest players, claiming 20 wickets at an average of 18.65 and an economy of just four.
Having returned just months before the global mega event, Bumrah focused on a simple philosophy that helped smoothen his comeback.
“Since I have come back from my injury, I have only focused on enjoying the game as much as I can,” Bumrah added, trying to focus on the process rather than the uncertainty surrounding the game.
“Because (certain) things will go my way. (Certain) things will not go my way.
“All of these things will be a part of my process. So I have just realised that I started playing this sport. Because I love this sport.
“And I will focus on that rather than the end result. So in that aspect you reduce your pressure. And you enjoy the sport.
“When you focus on those things. Rather than the things you cannot control.”
With 74 T20I wickets, Bumrah is ranked third among Indian wicket-takers all-time.
A large portion of his success in the format may be ascribed to his precision yorker, which can quickly go past the batter’s defense.
Bumrah recounted how he invented the yorker while playing tennis-ball cricket as a child in order to explain how he came upon this wicket-taking option.
“So I played a lot of tennis-ball, rubber-ball cricket when I was growing up,” Bumrah said. “I used to play a lot with my friends in summer camps. And on summer vacations. Or whenever you used to get a lot of time.
“So when I was a kid, I used to think that this is the only way to get wickets. Because I was a fan of fast bowling. I was really fascinated by what I saw on the television.
“So I tried to replicate that.”
Bumrah said that he has nearly perfected this technique via constant practice.
“Is it (tennis-ball cricket) a secret (to bowling yorkers) or not? I don’t know,” Bumrah queried.
“But repetition surely is. Because I have kept this delivery. I still practice it. I keep on practicing it. Because every skill that you develop, you have to practice it and make it stronger. So I think a combination of both would be the answer.”
Bumrah, who made his India debut in 2016, is the team’s most experienced bowler for the T20 World Cup.
Along with Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh, he is spearheading an attack, assisted by all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
Even as a veteran member of the club, Bumrah was a firm believer in allowing young players like Arshdeep their own room and time to develop within the team environment.
“You don’t try to over-teach. That is something that I have learned,” Bumrah said. “Because whenever people need help, I let them have their own questions.
“Or if they need my help. Because you don’t want to give too much information.”
Bumrah explained his strategy by saying that developing a skill is an integral element of the game.
“It’s not like they have just been lucky and they land here. So that is what I try to do. I do pass on certain information that I have gained over from my experience,” he added.
“But I don’t try to burden them with (over) information. Because that is a part of the journey as well.
“That you have to find your own ways and solutions.”
In the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, India are in Group A with Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and the United States.
