"That's the one thing I am worried about"- Harbhajan Singh on Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer ahead of IPL 2023

Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh feels a lack of game time for Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer could be a cause of concern for the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.

There has been a lot of talk about the prospect of MI unleashing the two world-class pacers in tandem and fans have been waiting to see this for a year.

Although both Bumrah and Archer are absolute top-quality bowlers when it comes to T20 cricket, Harbhajan stressed on the injury woes that have kept the speedsters away from competitive cricket for a long time.

In a press conference organized by Star Sports to celebrate 15 years of the IPL, Harbhajan Singh replied to a Sportskeeda query by explaining why he is afraid about the output of Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer.

"Neither has played much cricket of late and that's the one thing I am worried about," he said. "In terms of their quality, I don't think any team has such a combination of world-class pacers like Bumrah and Archer. Even if you have just 20 runs to defend off four overs, you may still think you're in the game with such bowlers.

"However, Bumrah hasn't played competitive cricket for a while now and we don't exactly know the issue with his back. Although Archer has started playing again, not sure how lethal he could be."

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IPL has benefited Indian cricket in a way that nothing else has: Irfan Pathan

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan was also present at the press conference and also shared his thoughts on the impact that the league has had in increasing the depth of talent in Indian cricket.

Pathan shed light on how a few prolific seasons in the IPL have helped a player get fast-tracked into the Indian team.

The IPL has benefited Indian cricket in a way that nothing else has," he said. "There were so many cricketers like Amol Mazumdar, who used to score a truckload of runs in domestic cricket but never got a chance to play for India. But if you have 2-3 good seasons in the IPL, the selectors are likely to fast-track you.

"They will think that if this player can hit Jofra Archer for a boundary so easily, he can also play other world-class bowlers in international cricket."

The IPL has certainly made young players in domestic cricket more fearless and has given them confidence that they can give quality players a run for the money at the international level as well.

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Tune in to watch ‘The Incredible Awards’ – IPL 15 Years Special on February 20, 2023, at 10.00 pm LIVE & Exclusive on the Star Sports Network