"Bumrah is a source of inspiration for us" - India U19 pacer Naman Tiwari recalls receiving advice from star pacer at NCA 

Young left-arm seamer Naman Tiwari has played a vital role in India's progress to the final of the ongoing 2024 U-19 World Cup in South Africa. The 18-year-old has taken 10 wickets so far, including successive four-fers against Ireland and the USA, at an average of 17.50 and an economy rate of 4.72.

Tiwari claimed the well-settled Richard Seletswane's wicket in the thrilling semi-final contest against South Africa and was the unbeaten batter at the non-striker's end when Raj Limbani wrapped up the proceedings in the penultimate over in Benoni.

Tiwari branded Team India pacer Jasprit Bumrah as an inspiration and revealed that the tips given by the senior bowler have come in handy in making him an improved bowler.

"Bumrah is a source of inspiration for us. I watch his bowling videos a lot. I have met him several times at NCA and talked to him a lot about the mentality and skills of a bowler. He has explained a lot (of things to me), which is useful. He told me how to bowl accurate yorkers, and I have worked a lot (on that aspect) following his advice. I have to work hard to bring more aggression in this (my bowling)," Naman Tiwari told PTI Bhasha ahead of the 2024 U19 World Cup final against Australia.

Bumrah has also risen through the ranks over the years before making his international debut in 2016 at the age of 22. However, he was not part of any U-19 World Cup during his youth days. Bumrah, instead, burst onto the scene with his displays on the domestic circuit and in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Tiwari then went on to name other famed fast bowlers like Mitchell Starc, Dale Steyn, and Shoaib Akhtar as his inspiration and hopes to emulate their traits to hone his skills.

"I try to learn something from every bowler I like. I try to understand and learn by watching his (Bumrah's )videos. I like Shoaib Akhtar's speed, Dale Steyn's swing and Mitchell Starc's aggression very much," Tiwari added.

The U-19 Indian team, led by Uday Saharan, are scheduled to play the final against Australia at the Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Sunday, February 11.

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"One day I want to bowl the fastest ball in the world" - Naman Tiwari

Possessing a nice, clean bowling action along with the fact that left-arm seamers are a prized commodity in Indian cricket, the future is expected to be bright for Naman Tiwari.

The youngster shed some light on his aspirations as he progresses in his career while maintaining his focus on the upcoming task of securing the 2024 U19 World Cup title for India.

"One day I want to bowl the fastest ball in the world. I also want to play the World Cup with the senior team. But, for now, I have to focus on performance. I want to continuously improve my game because the challenges will be even bigger in the future and I will have to prepare my base to face them," Tiwari said

The youngster has played 11 youth ODIs to date, picking up 22 wickets at an average of 16.54 and an economy rate of 4.21.