Suryakumar Yadav, the No.1-ranked T20 batter, has not faced Jasprit Bumrah at nets for the sake of his bat, and foot.
“It is always good to have Jasprit by your side,” Surya said of Bumrah, Man of the Match in Mumbai Indians’ 7-wicket win on Thursday, but added: “It has been 2 to 3 years, have never batted Jasprit in the nets. Either he breaks my bat or my foot.”
The ace pacer lived up to his reputation with a five-wicket haul against Royal Challengers Bengaluru to share the Purple Cap with Yuzvendra Chahal. In awe of his performance, former spinner Harbhajan Singh hailed him as the superstar of the season.
“To see him bowl from day one and today, there’s a huge difference,” Harbhajan told Star Sports. “He’s been a great learner of the game.... He wants to learn every day, even if he got five wickets today, he’ll go back and tomorrow, he’ll see the videos of himself and see where he can improve.
“And he’s so calm, composed. When it comes to pressure situations, no one does better than what he does. People often talk about Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, because it’s a batter’s game. But, if you talk about the superstars of the game, he’s by far I think, the superstar of the IPL.
“He wins games on his day, like nothing. So, how many batters have done that?” Harbhajan asked.
No one else, except for the retired Lasith Malinga — incidentally the bowling coach of Mumbai Indians — can match Bumrah’s ability to single-handedly win games, Harbhajan added.
“If you see the bowlers, it’s only Bumrah or Malinga across the format. So, unbelievable. So, the basic thing is he wants to learn and he wants to get better every day.
“And he’s still very humble, very calm, and very, very hardworking...It’s a great lesson for all the youngsters. When you’re practising, practise like you’re playing the game.”