Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh has recalled facing Jasprit Bumrah when he tried to make a comeback in top-level cricket after recovering from cancer. The former left-handed batter revealed how a 16-year-old Bumrah rattled him by bowling rockets during a net session, forcing Yuvraj to ask him to stop.
Had Jasprit Bumrah debuted in any format in 2013?
It was in 2013 that the right-arm pacer had made his first-class and List A debut in 2013. It was also in 2013 that Bumrah made his first IPL appearance, with Virat Kohli proving to be his first wicket. Speaking to ex-England captain Michael Vaughan in the Overlap Cricket Podcast, Yuvraj revealed:
“When I was trying to make a comeback in the team, he was about 16 years old and was bullying everyone with rapid pace in the nets. I was like, ‘I want this kid out of the nets.’ I was just recovering from cancer. This guy was just bowling lethal deliveries. I was like, ‘Kid, stop — whoever you are. He came and told me the story that I was bowling to you in the nets and you told me to stop bowling to you. I told him, ‘You were bowling too quick, I was just trying to get into my zone’.
When asked about the Ahmedabad-born cricketer’s previous run-up, he disclosed:
“He definitely had a longer run-up. I don’t think he had so much skill then. But he was quick. With his action, he’s got that deceptive bounce, keeps getting to your ribs all the time.”
Jasprit Bumrah currently plying his trade for the Mumbai Indians
Fast forward to the present, Bumrah is among the top new-ball bowlers across formats and is the No.1 ranked bowler in Test cricket with 879 rating points. The 32-year-old, who made his IPL debut for the Mumbai Indians, has not played for any other franchise and has been pivotal in their all five title victories.
Currently, Bumrah is the second-highest wicket-taker for the franchise with 186 scalps in 151 matches at 22.59. However, the Ahmedabad-born cricketer is yet to take a wicket in IPL 2026.
