In a country where cricket is not just a sport, but a religion, standing out as a successful player is as difficult as it can get. An opportunity to play for the country comes with the pressure to perform, the responsibility to shoulder the expectations of millions of fans across India. Some might argue that it is just the natural talent of the player which enables him to scale the heights of success, but the fact is, natural talent only helps to give that player a kick-start in his career. What follows behind the scene are years of intense perseverance and thousands of sessions in the nets working on the nuances of their craft. Such determination and hard work to bring out the best in every game played is seen in Jasprit Bumrah, the current, joint number 1 ODI bowler in the ICC rankings.

Born in Ahmedabad, Gujrat, Jasprit Bumrah started his bowling career with Gujrat’s U-19 team. Soon he was picked by us in 2013, just before the Indian Premier League (IPL), when he hadn’t even made his first-class debut. Impressive with his pace and swing, his unorthodox and slingy action was something unique which produced a peculiar release at the point of delivery, often confusing the batsmen. On his debut for us, he picked up 3 wickets for 32 runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Since then, Bumrah has never looked back and his consistency and ability to bowl pinpoint yorkers has made him an invaluable player for us. It wasn’t a surprise when he got selected in the Indian Cricket Team. On 23rd January 2016, he debuted for India in the final ODI against Australia in Sydney. He picked up 2 wickets with an exceptional economy rate of 4, best in the match. It was evident that this pacer would climb up in the ICC rankings with lightning speed.

Bumrah was the answer for India’s quest to find a fast bowler who could stem the run-flow at any juncture of the game and claim wickets with regularity. Because of his variations and precision, he has become one the most reliable bowler in the death overs in world cricket. Since January 2016, he has picked up 64 wickets, and possesses the best economy rate (4.64), among bowlers who have picked up at least 25 wickets. During the tour to Sri Lanka in 2017, Bumrah accumulated 15 wickets in 5 matches, the most by any pacer in a bilateral series.

He is 24 years old and he’s in prime form. He can only improve from here and achieving the number 1 spot in the ICC rankings will only do his already beaming confidence a world of good. Bumrah’s ranking is not only the good news for himself, but also for the entire breed of young Indian fast bowlers who are trying their best to get into the Indian team. He will set an example for those who will be the future of Indian fast bowling in the years to come. Hopefully, the top spot for the bowlers’ rankings might soon witness a tight competition from the Indian pacers and it will be a matter of great pride for all of us to know that the inspiration behind all of them will be Jasprit Bumrah.