On being the world’s best bowler

That is something that is not for me to decide. In my head, even when I started, I would always think that I’m very good. Because if I don’t believe in myself, who else will? The narratives can change every now and then but in my head, I have a lot of confidence that I am good … As a child, I fell in love with fast bowling and I wanted to make my team win.

On whether T20 cricket is no longer a batsman’s sport

I am an advocate for bowlers. I understand that our country loves big batsmen and fair enough, but for me, bowlers drive the game. I come from a generation where test cricket used to be shown more on television and for me, till date, it’s the greatest format because I feel that if I do well in that, all other formats will take care of themselves.

On whether there is a bias towards batsmen

Within our setup, there is no difference between a batsman and a bowler because all of us have to do a job — to make the team win. Now, outside (our circle), people resonate with certain players, heroes who are batsmen. You cannot tell people to forcefully like bowlers. If they do, they do, if they don’t, they don’t. I was inspired by watching a lot of bowlers doing well. I’ve never tried to create a narrative that bowlers have to be more important or the idea that ‘promote us more, give us more limelight’.

On the bowlers who influenced him

I didn’t get a lot of formal training and my mother also didn’t want me to play cricket till I finished Class X because she thought that I would not be able to focus on my education. So the only way that I could learn was through television. As a child, I used to copy whoever took wickets because I didn’t have my own proper action. I think that jumbled up and became something interesting that I have now! But yes, I was fascinated by left arm bowlers as well. I used to try and bowl with my left arm. I am ambidextrous, so I can do that but obviously there is a pace difference.

On his journey with the yorkers

I watched a lot of television and this delivery is like a cinematic thing, so for a youngster it’s exciting. It’s probably the first delivery I observed in cricket.

That’s how I developed it and when I came into serious cricket, I realised that I have a skill. But along with that I cannot be a one-trick pony.

On life outside sport

Because our sport is so popular and you’re constantly trying to please the world, you can sometimes be too intense and hard on yourself. Sometimes when your family is a priority, you don’t focus on all of those things and you’re a little calm and relaxed. You don’t try too hard. You enjoy the game a little more. Obviously cricket is very important but family comes first. Then you’re not over analysing, over thinking or over complicating things. So you’re nice and relaxed, you play with a smile and enjoy the sport.

On whether we are moving to an era of hyper aggression

Aggression has a lot of meanings.

You could be calm and you can still be aggressive. You have to understand who you are as a person. You cannot try to copy someone. You have to find out what works for you. You can’t be pretending to be aggressive because you’ll be called out eventually.

I’m a fast bowler, I don’t enjoy getting hit. When I was a youngster, I would get angry and then try to bowl very fast. That never worked for me as I would lose line and length, and that would not help the team. So, I realised that it’s not necessary to be angry or go overboard. How do I use it to my advantage? When my best performance comes, what is my mindset? So I am calm and relaxed. But yes, there is that competitive spirit to win. You’re not there to just participate. That is there, but you have to find your own way. This works for me. There are many in our team who are aggressive and that works for them.

There have been great bowlers who have not said a word, but their actions speak. I’ve never had those requests from any of the batters to purposely bowl bouncers and try to hit people. When I want to intimidate, I don’t need to say anything. My ball can do the talking for me.

On why bowlers aren’t considered for captaincy

I cannot go to the team and say make me the captain. I don’t have that much power and it is above my pay grade, but yes, I feel bowlers are smart people because they have to get the batsmen out. Bowlers have to do the hard job and are not hiding behind a bat, they’re not hiding behind a flat wicket. We’re right in the firing line. When we lose a game, it’s usually the bowlers who are blamed. So it’s a hard job. Bowlers find different ways of succeeding and being brave. Leadership requires you to be brave. We’ve seen Pat Cummins doing really well. When I was a child, I’d seen Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis as captains. Kapil Dev has won us a World Cup. Imran Khan has won a World Cup for Pakistan. So bowlers are the smart ones.

On audience support and fickleness

When I started, I wanted to be praised and people to like me. But then I realised in a couple of years that you cannot please the world. So I thought that if it’s a battle that you cannot win, there’s no point fighting that battle. There are many

opinions on social media now so people have to be thick-skinned. What works for me is I don’t take anything seriously. My game and my family, that’s all that matters to me. Today people are praising me, great. Tomorrow they don’t, it doesn’t matter to me.

On Hardik Pandya being booed & the T20 turnaround

You have to take it on your chin. That’s where the inner circle comes in. We, as a team, don’t encourage that, we don’t promote that. We don’t think that’s warranted. We were with him (Hardik), talking to him, if he needed support. Certain things are beyond your control. If it happened, it happened. The narrative just changed, when we won the World Cup. This is part of the journey. It’s us against the world. We will try to give as much support as we can.

We live in a country that’s driven by emotion. Fans get emotional and players are also emotional. It does affect that you’re an India player and sometimes your own fans are not speaking well of you. But it is the way it is. You’ve got to take it on your chin because how can you go out there and stop people?

On the captains he’s played under

Rohit (Sharma) is one of the few captains who has empathy towards bowlers, despite being a batsman. He understands players’ emotions, and knows what a player is going through. Rohit is not rigid, he is open to feedback. MS (Dhoni) gave me a lot of security, quickly. He has a lot of faith in his instinct, and doesn’t believe in a lot of planning. Virat (Kohli) is energy-driven, passionate, wears his heart on his sleeve. He pushed us in terms of fitness, and changed the narrative that way. Now Virat is not the captain, but he is still a leader. Captaincy is a post, but a team is run by 11 people.

On whether he ever had a Plan B

I had always convinced myself that somehow I would become a cricketer. But I came from a background where nobody knew anything about the sport. My uncle lived in Canada, and my mother had given me a few years to try out cricket… give it a shot, then go and study in Canada and make a living there. In this World Cup, I met the Canadian team and they jokingly said, ‘if you had come here, we would have played the World Cup together!’

QUICK QUESTIONS

The funniest sledge you remember hearing on field?

It’s not a sledge but sometimes people come smiling to me and say, ‘go easy on me’ and I find that funny because I can’t figure whether they are being serious or whether they are trying to play some game.

If there’s one cricketing rule you have the power to change or modify, what would it be?

That no ball free hit should go away.

One thing no one knows about your wife.

That when I made my debut in internationals, it was also her first year in sports — she started as a presenter. So we started at the same time.

Your favourite moment in the entire T20 World Cup?

The last ball. It was an unreal feeling.

Has sportsmanship in cricket increased, decreased or stayed the same since the day you joined?

I think it’s increased quite a lot.

The one umpire decision that you still think was wrong?

The decision on Marnus Labuschagne in the World Cup final. Whenever I meet Richard (Kettleborough) still, I tell him that he could have given that out.

If not Mumbai Indians, which team would you like to be in?

It’s always been Mumbai Indians. It’s been more than 10 years.

Your favourite celebrity sighting at the Ambani wedding?

I always wanted to meet Rajinikanth and I met him, so yes, that would be it.

The one wicket that brings a smile to your face? Ollie Pope, Sean Marsh, Mohmmad Rizwan, Olly Robinson, or Virat Kohli on your IPL debut?

I think I’ll take Virat Kohli because I was a 19-year-old kid still convincing myself that I belong here.

Is there any brand or type of product you’ll never endorse?

I might not do dating apps.

The last time your wife and you disagreed on a cricketing matter?

We don’t really disagree on cricket. We disagree on other things, but that is not for a public forum!

The greatest Indian cricket captain ever.

There are great captains, but I’ll take my name — I am my favourite captain.

The one commentator whose commentary you look forward to: Gavaskar, Shastri, Bhogle, Hayden or Bishop?

I really like Ian Bishop. Ravi Shastri is also great, but Ian Bishop has that Caribbean feel.

The one bowler you believe has the potential to one day be the next Jasprit Bumrah?

I hope everyone becomes better than me. Siraj, Arshdeep, Bhavesh, Mukesh —  go ahead and do even better.

Is the Indian cricket team overworked? Yes or no?

See, you have a small career. I would never say that. My stomach is full of cricket.

The one thing you would do if you were the ICC president for a day?

It would be interesting to have a T20 match with a red ball.

What is Jasprit Bumrah scared of?

Not really thought about it but yes, of anything that comes to my family… I’m very possessive about my family.

Your biggest regret?

I have no regrets because every journey, everything has made me reach here.

What’s next for Jasprit Bumrah?

Next is going home and having dinner.  I don’t plan. I’ve never planned. I’m sure that if I do everything right, something greater is there in store.

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