Selectors want Jasprit Bumrah to rest after the Champions Trophy

Jasprit Bumrah has been actively involved in the past four months extensively in the blue jersey, for the Mumbai Indians and the national team. The right-arm quick has put in a solid amount of shifts during the four-month stint at the top of his mark. The pacer has been left out of the Indian squad for the limited-overs tour of West Indies, where India have decided to go with Rishabh Pant and Kuldeep Yadav.

In a recent interview, Bumrah confessed that he was advised to take rest for the West Indies tour, in a similar manner that the BCCI had requested Umesh Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja to take rest from the initial stages of the Indian Premier League. The move is to balance his workload and ensure he stays fit for longer.

“I am totally fine, they (selectors and team management) have told me to take rest. I am fully fit and there are no niggles. I am not disappointed. I have been doing things that I have been told to do,” said the pacer in the post-match press meet after India’s semi-final win.

The pacer has been in good form with the ball for India, with not just his spot on death bowling but also has been able to exploit reverse swing later in the inning.

“Well, it was a good day. The ball in the end was reverse swinging so that also helped. It always feels good when rhythm is going well. So whenever you are able to contribute to the team’s success, it’s good,” Bumrah said and added, “Dot balls help build pressure so even if you are not getting wickets, somebody from the other end is getting wickets and the job is done,” added the Mumbai Indians pacer.

Yorkers and Pakistan in the finals

Bumrah further stated that bowling yorkers were not easy for him, just the way it is for the other bowlers, but he worked the extra yard hard to make his yorkers count.

“It is not an easy delivery to bowl. You have to work hard. I always try and emphasize on having specific net sessions on ‘death bowling’. It is similar to length balls –the more you practice, the better you get at it,” he further said.

Bumrah concluded saying that he was not surprised when Pakistan beat the hosts England in the first semi-finals, appreciating the way that the arch-rivals performed after a bad start to their campaign. He added that on their day, the Pakistan side is more than capable of beating any top teams in the world and India must be extra careful in the final.