Yuvraj Singh Recalls Asking Teenage Jasprit Bumrah to Stop Bowling in 2013 Nets
In an exclusive interview on the Overlap Cricket YouTube channel with Michael Vaughan, former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh opened up about his remarkable journey from idolizing Sachin Tendulkar to becoming a cricketing superstar himself. During the candid conversation, Yuvraj heaped significant praise on current pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah, unequivocally calling him "the best" bowler in the game today.
Net Session Incident: Yuvraj's Request to Young Bumrah
Recalling a particularly interesting incident from 2013, Yuvraj Singh revealed that he once asked a young Jasprit Bumrah to stop bowling to him during a net session. At the time, Yuvraj was in the process of making a courageous comeback to cricket after battling cancer, while Bumrah was just a 16-year-old aspiring fast bowler.
"When I was trying to comeback and he was 16 years old, he was bowling rapid quick in the nets," Yuvraj explained. "It was 2013 and I was like I want this kid out the nets. Stop bowling to me because I was just recovering from Cancer and I was trying to get back to cricket."
Yuvraj added with a laugh, "And this guy was just bowling lethal. I was like 'Kid Stop Whoever You are'."
Bumrah's Unique Action and Natural Pace
Yuvraj Singh also spoke extensively about Bumrah's unique bowling action and natural pace, which made him exceptionally difficult to face even as a teenager. He highlighted how Bumrah's unconventional approach created challenges for batsmen from a very young age.
"I mean he definitely had a long run up and he was—I don't think he had much skills back then—but he was quick, he was extremely quick," Yuvraj elaborated. "And with his action, you know, he got this deceptive bounce. It just keeps getting on your ribs all the time."
Jasprit Bumrah's Remarkable Consistency Across Formats
Jasprit Bumrah has firmly established himself as one of the finest all-format fast bowlers in modern cricket since his international debut. His outstanding numbers across Test matches, One Day Internationals, and Twenty20 Internationals demonstrate his exceptional skill and consistency.
Test Cricket Dominance: In Test matches, Bumrah has taken approximately 234 wickets at an exceptional average of about 20, highlighting his particular dominance in challenging overseas conditions where many bowlers struggle.
ODI Reliability: In One Day Internationals, he has picked up 149 wickets while maintaining an economy rate under 5, making him one of the most reliable and economical bowlers in limited-overs cricket.
T20I Excellence: In Twenty20 Internationals, Bumrah has claimed 121 wickets while maintaining an elite economy rate of around 6.5-7, excelling particularly during the crucial death overs when batsmen are looking to accelerate.
IPL Performance: In the Indian Premier League, Bumrah has been a consistently outstanding performer for the Mumbai Indians franchise, taking 183 wickets across his career in the tournament.
Known for his pinpoint accuracy, deadly yorkers, and remarkable calmness under pressure, Jasprit Bumrah's statistics reflect not just consistency but genuine match-winning impact across all formats of the game. His ability to deliver in high-pressure situations has made him an indispensable asset to the Indian cricket team and one of the most feared bowlers in world cricket today.
