Jasprit Bumrah‘s meteoric rise in cricket already solidified him as one of the best bowlers in the modern era. Deep Dasgupta reflected on the evolution of Bumrah’s game and his remarkable growth over the years, “People often talk about the uniqueness of his action. In the first 1-2 years, that novelty factor made it tough for batters to figure him out. But here’s the greatness of Jasprit Bumrah-he’s been playing for 5-6 years now, in all formats, and still, batters struggle to decode him. So, I think we overemphasize the novelty factor; it’s more about his ability to keep evolving,” said Deep Dasgupta in the latest episode of Star Sports’ Deep Point.

Sanjay Bangar highlighted Bumrah’s adaptability as a crucial element of his brilliance. “The most special thing about Bumrah is his belief in the art of fast bowling. Traditionally, fast bowlers intimidate batters and then get them out. But Bumrah does it differently-he relies on skill rather than fear. He’s not a bowler who gets wickets primarily with bouncers. Instead, he uses in-swing, out-swing, yorkers, and slower balls to outthink the batter,” said Bangar.

Adding to this, Deep Dasgupta drew a fascinating comparison, suggesting that Bumrah’s approach resembles that of a spinner, “Would it be fair to say Bumrah is a fast bowler who thinks like a spinner? He’s precise, calculated, and methodical in his approach, much like a spinner who plans every delivery. He’s not the kind of fast bowler who bowls short deliveries to scare batters. His skill lies in outsmarting the batter every time.”

The conversation also turned to Bumrah’s potential leadership qualities. Sanjay Bangar expressed confidence in Bumrah’s leadership abilities, based on his skill and temperament, “Purely based on his skill, without a doubt. Captaincy also depends on the captain-coach relationship and how their wavelengths align. If Bumrah gets the right support, like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had, he could grow into a great leader. He has shown that he has the temperament and intelligence needed to succeed as a captain.”

When asked about any areas for improvement in Bumrah’s game, Sanjay Bangar acknowledged his all-round skills but noted the short ball as one area where he could perhaps improve, “He’s as complete a package as you can get. If I had to point out one area for improvement, it might be his short ball. But overall, Bumrah is a bowler who can do it all. There’s no doubt about his versatility and skill.”

The discussion concluded with Deep Dasgupta praising Bumrah as a generational talent, a bowler whose impact will be felt for years to come, “In many ways, yes. He’s broken stereotypes about red-ball bowling, showing that even yorkers and slower deliveries can be effective. Bumrah is a generational talent, and it will be a long time before we see someone like him again.”

Sanjay Manjrekar suggested Ravindra Jadeja needs to practice a little more against spinners.© AFP

Rohit Sharma hasn’t been in best form in IPL 2024© BCCI/Sportzpics