Jasprit Bumrah leaves one outside off when asked about his favorite actress

Young fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has had a remarkable year and a half in international cricket. Quipped as a white-ball specialist, the Gujarat bowler has mastered the art of bowling yorkers, a skill he polished while playing alongside Lasith Malinga at Mumbai Indians. His impressive showings in the international arena have made him a regular member of the Indian side.

On Sunday, the 23-year old picked his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs. His 5/27 derailed Sri Lanka’s batting and helped him earn the ‘Man of the Match’ award. The pace bowler has 11 wickets from three games and is the leading wicket taker in the series by a distance. The right-arm bowler comes across as a shy personality and was quick to avert a question posed by his Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma in a fun interview post the 3rd ODI in Pallekele last night.

“I don’t think this question is relevant to the match,” said a blushing Bumrah when Rohit asked him to name his favorite actress. On a serious note, Bumrah was delighted with the break he got between the Champions Trophy and the ongoing series as he was rested for the West Indies tour.

“It is always good to have a break because in Indian cricket you don’t often get a break because you are continuously playing throughout the year. It was good to spend some time with the family and to get the strength level back up. So, when you come back, you feel fresh and the hunger is back. It is good to be back,” he said.

Bumrah doesn’t like mixing it up too much

With the help of Bumrah’s spell, India were able to restrict Sri Lanka to a below par total of 217 for 9. India hemmed soon after the introduction of Akila Dananjaya and were in a spot of bother at 61 for 4 before Rohit and Dhoni joined hands to ease the nerves of the Indian dressing room. Both remained undefeated as India knocked the runs off with 6 wickets in hand and 29 balls to spare.

Bumrah, who has a bag of tricks up his sleeves, said that he doesn’t use all of his variation in a given game as it might make him lose the plot. “You don’t think about it (the variations) because on a particular day you don’t use everything you have. You stick to one or two things because if you experiment too many things won’t go your way. There is always pressure when you play for India but you don’t think about the pressure and look to enjoy the responsibility which is given to you,” he said.

Working with Bharat Arun easy: Bumrah

The fast bowler spoke highly about his experience of working with the bowling coach Bharat Arun. “He has been very helpful. I have been in U-19 and NCA camps with him so he knows my bowling from the U-19 days. He understands my bowling so it is always easier to interact and talk to him because he knows how the body works and what kind of deliveries you can bowl. It is always good to discuss with him and chat to him.”