Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra Tips Jasprit Bumrah for Javelin Success

Neeraj Chopra, India's Olympic gold medalist, believes that Indian cricket team's fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah possesses the inherent capabilities to dominate in javelin throw. Chopra shared his insights during a recent segment on Star Sports, hosted by Navjot Singh Sidhu, suggesting that Bumrah's physical attributes and techniques as a fast bowler could translate well to the world of javelin.

Chopra specifically highlighted Bumrah's fitness and strength as pivotal factors that would make him a natural fit for javelin throw, had he not already excelled in cricket.

"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 underscore his exceptional physical condition. In the first Test match against England, he achieved his 14th five-wicket haul in the first innings.

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

Bumrah's statistics in 2024 demonstrate his capabilities. He has claimed 78 wickets in just 15 Test matches, making him the leading fast bowler worldwide during this period.

His workload reflects his key role in the team, bowling 410.4 overs, which is the highest among all pace bowlers globally. This surpasses Australia's Mitchell Starc (362.3 overs) and England's Gus Atkinson (328 overs, 54 wickets).

Among Indian bowlers, Ravindra Jadeja is the only other player 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, Bumrah is expected to be rested for the upcoming Test at Edgbaston, with Siraj anticipated to lead the pace attack.

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

This discussion surrounding Bumrah's potential in javelin throw highlights the transferable athletic skills between cricket and track and field, particularly the shared physical demands of 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.