Jasprit Bumrah spills beans on how he was signed for Mumbai Indians as a 19-year-old pacer

Mumbai Indians pacer Jasprit Bumrah has revealed how the Indian Premier League franchise signed him when he was just a 19-year-old. In an interview with former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports, Bumrah recalled how John Wright, who was a talent scout for Mumbai Indians at the time, spotted him while he was playing a T20 match against Mumbai in the domestic circuit. Bumrah said he got a call from Mumbai Indians a few days later, asking him whether he was interested in joining the IPL franchise. The 27-year-old stated there was no way he could turn down the opportunity, so he joined the team immediately for the 2013 IPL season.

Bumrah said John Wright had come to watch a domestic match between Gujarat and Mumbai when he spotted him playing in the match. Bumrah said that he did not have more than 1 wicket in the match but his bowling performance was enough to attract Wright's attention and force him to come to his next game again. The Indian pacer went on add that he received a call from Mumbai Indians a few days later and was asked "Are you interested?" Bumrah told Karthik he said, "Of course, I am interested", adding "that’s not even a question. Are you guys interested?" 

Bumrah spills beans on first meet with wife

Bumrah also revealed that when he and his wife Sanjana Ganesan first met, they didn't get along. Bumrah claimed that they avoided speaking to each other because they both believed the other was arrogant. The Gujarat cricketer went on to say that after their initial conversation at the 2019 Cricket World Cup, they became friends and began talking frequently. Bumrah and Ganesan tied the knot in April this year in a private ceremony held in Goa.

India vs England 4th Test

As far as the ongoing Test match is concerned, Bumrah looked in good form in the second innings as he picked both the England openers early to provide India with a solid start. Bumrah dismissed Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed in the same over for just 5 and 0 runs, respectively. While bowling his 20th over in the match, Bumrah appeared to have suffered a calf injury, which could be a matter of grave concern for the BCCI given the tight schedule ahead of the T20 World Cup. 

India is currently batting in the third innings of the match and is well ahead of England with a lead of 276 runs. Rishabh Pant and Shardul Thakur are currently in the middle contributing some crucial runs after a series of dismissals in the first session on Day 4. It would be interesting to watch when does the Indian skipper Virat Kohli declares their innings and start a campaign to bowl England out before the end of play on Day 5. 

(Image: IPL/Twitter)