Jasprit Bumrah has an interesting anecdote on his debut for the Mumbai Indians in 2013.

“Axar Patel and I had joined the MI camp late because we were playing for Gujarat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy. The practice wickets were green and I troubled Ricky Ponting with my inswingers that day. The team saw something different in me and that’s how I got my IPL debut,” Bumrah told his India teammate Ravichandran Ashwin on the latter’s YouTube show ‘DRS with Ash’.

Of course, Boom’s first IPL wicket was that of Virat Kohli and he ended with figures of 3-32 in his four overs. The rest, as they say, is history.

The story may sound innocuous but to trouble a batter of Ricky Ponting’s ability and class requires the bowler to be really special. And Bumrah had that self-belief.

“I always thought I was very good at what I do. You always have to believe in yourself. I did not have many people backing me when I started but I always had my own support. My confidence is what will get me out of any situation and I have kept that frame of mind till date,” Bumrah stated in the chat.

“My family came from an educational background - my mom was a school principal - so they did not know sports could be a viable career. So I had my own belief and that prepared me for the long road ahead because in international cricket, there is always tough competition.”

Boom’s bowling action was a hot topic of debate when he broke out and the unorthodox style led many to believe he would not last in cricket, even in his formative years.

“Coaches told me I will get injured in six months and my cricket career would be over soon. In my head though, I always thought I was the best. I was the fastest bowler and picked many wickets so I don’t believe in people wanting to pull me down. I just backed myself. It worked out luckily,” chuckled Bumrah.

“I’m not averse to change - I will change something if it’s giving me discomfort. I remember in my early days my back used to get stiff quickly because I had a big jump in my action. So I started jumping straighter - it is not a big change - but I feel that you should not fix something that is not broken. The body adapts to different situations so I don’t think anyone should work on assumptions.”

Bumrah achieved superstardom through his exploits for MI and he credited the team and in particular, bowling coach Shane Bond with helping him become a more rounded bowler.

“Shane Bond and the MI coaches taught me how to analyse and how to plan for different batters. I remember asking them to set the field for my ball because I was not yet accurate. They pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and try new things and widen my skill set. I slowly learnt how to develop bowling plans and anticipate what batters would do,” he said.

And what about his relationship with his MI, and now India, captain Rohit Sharma?

“I started playing a lot for MI under Rohit. He saw me bowling in the nets and he always backed me and gave me confidence. He trusted me a lot even in the early years, stuff like giving me the important overs. Him keeping the dressing room atmosphere simple and calm has helped me not get overawed. It is the best place to be for me because it gives me freedom to do what I want,” explained Bumrah.

Though he has been designated the vice-captain of India’s Test and T20I teams, Boom does not believe it places an extra burden on him.

“I think you are a leader when you are a senior player. You try to help in whatever capacity you can, you play the leadership role even when you are not asked to. I never want to be the captain for personal satisfaction, if I am made captain, I will not shy away from it but I still have to do my job. Captaincy is not something I will go looking for,” he revealed.

Bumrah also was appreciative of his wife, the TV presenter Sanjana Ganesan, who he says has helped keep him calm.

“When you play so much cricket, sometimes you won’t be able to switch off from the game. Marriage has helped me relax and come back with a fresh mindset. I have become kinder and happier. She is my best friend and we joke around so it is a lot of fun. It hopefully stays on forever,” said Bumrah.

That was an interesting look into the mind of Jasprit Bumrah and his journey to the top.

From a young and fiery quick who made his MI debut in 2013, Boom has steadily evolved into one of the team's most important players.

We cannot wait to see what he has in store for this season!