 "Virat Kohli celebrates with Jasprit Bumrah after a wicket falls. Image: Reuters")
India pacer Jasprit Bumrah is known for his calm attitude on the field. However, his latest comment during an interview has sparked debate on social media. Many fans think he may have taken a sly dig at former India captain Virat Kohli , who is famous for his aggressive and fiery nature while playing.
Bumrah recently spoke to former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke on his Beyond23 Cricket Podcast on YouTube. In the interview, Clarke asked Bumrah how he manages to be calm and polite on the field while playing cricket even after bowling at such a high speed.
Bumrah explains why he avoids on-field theatrics
Bumrah replied, “I do have my competitive spirit and I do play to win. But I don’t want to cross the line and everybody plays cricket in a certain manner, which I also do. Yes, you have to be competitive, you want to give your best but you don’t have to be a clown. That is something I try not to be.”
He also shared how he learned the game while growing up. Bumrah said he didn’t have a formal coach and mostly learned by watching cricket on TV. “I had seen bowlers trying to intimidate batters with their words and their bowling. I also tried doing that when I started playing, but it didn’t work for me,” he said.
“I do have aggression, but when I tried to act like that, I didn’t bowl well. I was just trying to bowl fast and my line and length was all over the place. I let my emotions take over and realised that this is not the best way. So, I try to control my aggression, drive it in a manner which is helpul for me.”
Potential face-off between Bumrah and Kohli
After this podcast, many fans on social media started saying that Bumrah may have taken a dig at Virat Kohli, who is known for being very aggressive and expressive on the field. Some Kohli fans even started criticising Bumrah for the “clown” comment, saying he was indirectly insulting the former India captain.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsHowever, Bumrah didn’t name anyone directly and was only talking about his own playing style. Bumrah is considered one of the greatest bowlers of the modern time as he has the ability to take wickets in crunch situations, especially by bowling perfect yorkers.
Bumrah is currently busy playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season for the Mumbai Indians. Last night, he helped MI provide a crucial breakthrough at the right time to help win the Eliminator against the Gujarat Titans. MI will now play Qualifier 2 against Punjab Kings. If they win the match, Bumrah will face Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final on 3 June.