Neeraj Chopra says, “Jasprit Bumrah should lengthen his run-up to add more pace.”
Reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, credited with popularizing the javelin throw in India, gave insightful advice to his favorite and premier fast bowler of team India, Jasprit Bumrah, on enhancing his pace.
Neeraj, a prominent presence at the ODI World Cup final held at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, praised the unique bowling style of Bumrah and designated him as his preferred fast bowler.
Neeraj said, “I like Jasprit Bumrah; I find his action unique.”
Despite the stellar performance of Jasprit, Chopra suggests a minor adjustment that could potentially increase his pace.
He added, "I feel he should lengthen his run-up to add more pace. As a javelin thrower, we often discuss how bowlers can increase their pace if they start their run-up from a little further back. I like Bumrah’s style.”
Reflecting on his experience as a fan attending the World Cup final between India and Australia, Neeraj further said, “This was the first time I watched a match fully. When I was on the flight, India had lost three wickets already. Virat Bhai and KL Rahul were batting when I reached. There are some technical things that I don’t understand.
Batting in the daytime wasn’t very easy. In the evening, I think, batting became easy. But our guys tried. Sometimes, it’s just not our day. But, frankly, everyone had a great tournament. Maybe, somewhere mentally, the Australian team held an edge at the start. When they bowled, I found they had a strong mindset. In the end, they had completely flipped it over. They were confident about their game.”