I only believe in Jassi bhai because…. he too is a mumma’s boy like all of us!
Many people regard Jasprit Bumrah’s yorker as the hardest ball bowled in contemporary cricket (and rightly so bruh).
Bumrah has used this bowling method to help destroy batting line-ups in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and deliver match-winning last overs for India in global tournaments. He has developed a reputation for being able to land the ball exactly where he wants to with great precision, often right at the toes of the batsman.
Tbh, it is an absolute flex, honour, privilege and respect that this guy plays for India.
But Bumrah ki bowling ke peeche bhi, ek lady (unki mummy) ka haath hai.
And yes, the beginnings of this lethal throw came from a surprisingly humble and almost accidental background.
Before he became one of the best fast bowlers in India, Bumrah was simply a young boy in Ahmedabad trying to practice bowling inside his home without waking up his mother who took an afternoon nap.
Yes, that time of the day, when disturbing mummies can prove lethal also.
How A Little Home Contributed To The Development Of Bumrah’s Bowling
Bumrah was raised in Ahmedabad in a small, modest house and the restricted space provided major obstacles for him when it came to the practice of bowling indoors, particularly as he didn’t have enough room to take a complete run-up.
Reportedly, the limited space in his home forced Bumrah to alter his standard practice routines.
Bumrah tedi unglied ghee and how!
The limited space also naturally resulted in him shortening his run-up and ultimately led to the development of his unique bowling technique which has become his trademark.
Bumrah’s mother would often be disturbed during the afternoon when Bumrah was bowling in the house. Every time the ball would hit the floor or wall, it made a noise that would disrupt her sleep.
So Bumrah found a solution! What a pookie!
Rather than bowling randomly, Bumrah now aimed for the same corner where the wall and floor meet each time he bowled to minimise the impact of the ball hitting the floor or wall. This ended up being a lot quieter than when he was just bowling randomly all over the place.
What an intelligent pookie too!
What Bumrah didn’t know at that time was that in doing this he was forced to repeatedly bowl very full deliveries (essentially yorkers). As a result of this consistent practice, he became very accurate with the ball (velocity too).
The Street Cricket Factor
Bumrah practised indoors, but street cricket also helped him develop his bowling ability.
Gully cricket is our Narendra Modi Stadium bro.
Like many Indian kids, Bumrah played on the streets with rubber balls. The conditions of the game were very different than in professional cricket.
He explained how street cricket shaped the way he thinks about bowling:
“We had rubber balls, super tight ones, with a seam. It used to swing,” said Bumrah.
“We did not play on pitches, so there was no seam movement or length balls or caught behinds. It was all about trying to hit the batsman on the full.”
In order to do this, he needed to bowl yorkers.
“If you want to take wickets you have to bowl yorkers. I still believe that’s what makes me street smart, because it’s very easy to get hit when you’re playing rubber ball. As a bowler you have to find out ways of how not to get hit,” he said.
Not a Skill Developed Through The IPL
Many fans believe that Jassi bhai ‘developed’ his yorker delivery while playing with Lasith Malinga for the Mumbai Indians franchise in the IPL.
But wake up delulus!
Contrary to popular belief, Bumrah’s yorker had fully formed before he entered the IPL.
Aura farming pro max.
All reports have indicated that the delivery of Bumrah’s yorker was a product of being raised in particular conditions rather than through a coaching or mentorship system.
When he reached the IPL, the delivery had become second nature to him. Over the years, he was able to hit pinpoint yorkers at critical times which caused problems for some of the world’s best batsmen.
Repetition is Key
According to Bumrah, the key to developing a yorker is to keep practicing it over and over.
“I do it again and again and again in the nets. So the more you do it, you get decent at it. You can’t master it,” Bumrah once said, speaking about his training routine.
“You are still trying to get better at it, yeah. It’s all about repetition. It’s like any other ball.”
His dedication to the philosophy of practice has assisted him in achieving remarkable control over one of the hardest deliveries in cricket. Tabhi toh, bro goes HARDDDD!
Bumrah’s First Coach was Kishore Trivedi, who coached at The Royal Academy in Ahmedabad, where Bumrah spent much of his childhood developing his bowling.
Trivedi said about Bumrah, “Jasprit was not always committed to the sport. He liked cricket and bowling, but as a hobby. He would turn up for practice for two days, and then skip it on the third day,” Trivedi recalled in an interview, as reported by The Quint.
Despite Bumrah’s initial lack of dedication, Trivedi saw a glimmer of hope in his skills. So, Trivedi decided to give him an ultimatum:
“I told him to commit to the game and attend training every day without fail, or stop playing entirely. There cannot be any middle ground,” Trivedi said.
Aisa ek guardian toh hum bhi deverse karte hain yaaawr 🙁
Another obstacle was Bumrah’s schoolwork. His mother, a vice-principal, was becoming alarmed at the declining quality of his grade-point average.
In order to resolve both of these problems, Trivedi devised a plan. He said to Bumrah, “When I told Jasprit that he has the potential to make it big, he became serious. But there was another problem — his mother,” Trivedi explained.
She came up to him one day and said, ‘Sir, my kid has started playing cricket all day, and does not want to study at all.’”
In order to satisfy his mother’s fears, Trivedi said he needed three years.
“I told his mother that the kid has genuine potential. I will be honest — at no point did I think Jasprit will become the bowler he is today. But I was certain that he will at least play Ranji Trophy for Gujarat.”
So he asked her to give him three years… for the next three years, his undivided focus will be on cricket, and not studies,” Trivedi said.
The gamble reaped the rewards of its wager.
Jasprit achieved success by making his debut for Gujarat during this timeframe, ultimately paving the way for him to establish himself as an elite-level cricketer!