Olympic Champ Neeraj Chopra Sees Javelin Star Potential in Cricketer Jasprit Bumrah

Neeraj Chopra, India's Olympic champion in javelin, has identified an unexpected candidate who he believes could excel in the sport: Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian cricket team's fast bowler. Chopra shared his insights during a segment on Star Sports, hosted by Navjot Singh Sidhu, emphasizing Bumrah's physical attributes and bowling techniques as key factors.

India's Neeraj Chopra believes Jasprit Bumrah possesses the physical attributes to excel in javelin.

Chopra highlighted Bumrah's fitness and strength as particularly advantageous for javelin throwing, suggesting that if Bumrah weren't already a successful cricketer, he could dominate in javelin.

"I think it would be a fast bowler for sure. So, I think a fully fit Jasprit Bumrah will be good at it," Chopra stated.

Bumrah's recent cricketing performance underscores his physical capabilities. In the first Test match against England at Headingley, he achieved his 14th five-wicket haul in the first innings. Although he didn't secure any wickets in the second innings, his overall performance demonstrated his prowess.

Despite Bumrah's efforts, England won the match, chasing a target of 371 runs, with Ben Duckett scoring 149. This victory provided England with a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.

Bumrah's 2024 statistics further highlight his skill. He has claimed 78 wickets in just 15 Test matches, leading all fast bowlers globally in this period.

His workload has been considerable, with 410.4 overs bowled, the most among all pace bowlers worldwide. This exceeds Mitchell Starc of Australia, who has bowled 362.3 overs, and England's Gus Atkinson, who has bowled 328 overs and taken 54 wickets. Among Indian bowlers, Ravindra Jadeja is the only other player to exceed 400 overs, with 400.1 overs bowled. Mohammed Siraj, having played the same number of matches as Bumrah, has bowled 355.3 overs.

Due to workload management, Bumrah is expected to rest for the upcoming Test at Edgbaston. Siraj is likely to spearhead the pace attack, despite his less-than-stellar performance in the Headingley Test.

The second Test of the series is set to commence on July 2 in Birmingham, where India will strive to level the series against England.

This discussion about Bumrah's javelin potential emphasizes the athletic parallels between cricket and track and field, particularly the physical demands shared by fast bowling and javelin throwing.

The announcement coincided with the promotion of the Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin throw event, scheduled for July 5, which will be broadcast on Star Sports.