IPL 2021: “Shane Bond helped me open my mind to different things” - Jasprit Bumrah

India's premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has said that Mumbai Indians (MI)'s bowling coach Shane Bond has had a significant role to play in his development. Bumrah said that the erstwhile Kiwi bowler has helped him evolve and become a versatile bowler across formats.

While Jasprit Bumrah has been Team India and MI’s pace spearhead over the last few seasons, Bond was one of the fastest bowlers during his playing days before the New Zealander's international career was cut short due to injuries.

In a video shared by MI on their official Twitter account, Bumrah spoke about his ‘bond’ with his IPL franchise’s bowling coach:

"I met him for the first time in 2015. As a child, I had seen him bowl and was always very fascinated with how he used to bowl for New Zealand and how he used to operate. When I met him over here, it was a good experience. He helped me a lot to open my mind to different things that I could try on the cricket field. That was very good, and that relationship has only gotten better each and every year.”

Bumrah hopes his relationship with Shane Bond would only grow stronger in the years to come. The 27-year-old elaborated in this regard:

"I always try to talk to him, even when I am not here (with MI), and (I'm) with the Indian team. It has been a good journey, and hopefully every year, I keep learning something new and try to add new things to my bowling. He (Bond) has played a major role in that. It's been a great relationship, and hopefully, that continues for many years to come."

Jasprit Bumrah will lead India’s pace attack in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand next month. His next assignment would be a five-Test series against England.

Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and T Natarajan will be the other pacers in the squad.

"As a child, I'd seen Bond bowl and was always very fascinated with how he used to bowl." - @Jaspritbumrah93 🤩🗣️ Our players speak in detail about the 'BOND' of the #MI bowling line-up 🙌💙#OneFamily #KhelTakaTak @ShaneBond27 @trent_boult @JimmyNeesh @MXTakaTak MI TV pic.twitter.com/dsHY1BEMmp

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) May 14, 2021

Jasprit Bumrah’s form will matter a lot in WTC final: Saba Karim

Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim has said that Jasprit Bumrah’s form could hold the key to India’s hopes of beating New Zealand in the WTC final in Southampton. According to Karim, the form Jasprit Bumrah displayed in IPL 2021 augurs well for the team.

Speaking to India News, Karim said in this regard:

"At this moment, the form Jasprit Bumrah has shown in the last 3-4 IPL matches, I have full belief that if he shows good form in the World Test Championship match, our chances (of winning) will increase significantly."

Pointing out Jasprit Bumrah's impressive record in Test matches, Karim termed him a unique bowler, saying:

"Jasprit Bumrah is the premier pace bowler of the Indian team at the moment, and he is a player who represents India in multiple formats. So, he always has the pressure to perform and to remain fit. Bumrah has always performed in Test matches. He is a unique type of bowler, and (batsmen find it) very difficult to pick him.”

During this difficult time, we would like to do our bit and help get the word out for as many #Covid19 related needs across India. Use #BlueHeart in your tweets and we will do our best to share your requirements to a wider audience.#Covid19IndiaHelp pic.twitter.com/Xb0Oy5mHhx

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 26, 2021

In 19 Tests in his relatively short career, Jasprit Bumrah has 83 wickets to his name, doing so at an excellent average of 22.1.