Neeraj Chopra Tips Jasprit Bumrah for Javelin Success: Olympic Gold Medalist Sees Potential in Cricket Star

Neeraj Chopra, India's Olympic gold medalist in javelin, has identified Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian cricket team's prominent fast bowler, as a potential javelin star. Chopra believes Bumrah possesses the necessary physical attributes and techniques to succeed in the sport.

During a recent segment on Star Sports with Navjot Singh Sidhu, Chopra highlighted Bumrah's fitness and strength as crucial elements that would translate well to javelin. He emphasized that if Bumrah weren't already a successful cricketer, he could easily excel 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 performances showcase his impressive physical capabilities. In the first Test match against England at Headingley, he achieved his 14th five-wicket haul in the first innings.

England secured a victory in the match, successfully chasing a target of 371 runs, with Ben Duckett scoring 149 runs. This win provided England with a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.

Bumrah's statistics in 2024 are a testament to his exceptional skill and stamina. He has claimed 78 wickets in just 15 Test matches, leading all fast bowlers worldwide in this period. His workload has been substantial, bowling 410.4 overs, the highest among all pace bowlers globally.

This surpasses Australia's Mitchell Starc, who has bowled 362.3 overs, and England's Gus Atkinson with 328 overs and 54 wickets. Ravindra Jadeja is the only other Indian bowler to exceed 400 overs, bowling 400.1 overs. Mohammed Siraj, who has played the same number of matches as Bumrah, has bowled 355.3 overs.

Due to workload management considerations, Bumrah is expected to be rested for the upcoming Test at Edgbaston. Siraj is anticipated to lead the pace attack, despite his underwhelming performance in the Headingley Test.

The second Test of the series is scheduled to begin on July 2 in Birmingham, where India will attempt to level the series against England.

This discussion about Bumrah's potential in javelin throw emphasizes the transferable athletic skills between cricket and track and field events. It highlights the parallels in physical requirements between fast bowling and javelin throwing.

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