Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra Sees Javelin Potential in Indian Cricket Star Jasprit Bumrah

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

During a recent segment on Star Sports, hosted by Navjot Singh Sidhu, Chopra explained his reasoning. He highlighted Bumrah's exceptional fitness and strength as key factors that would translate well to javelin throwing, if Bumrah wasn't already an accomplished cricketer.

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

England ultimately won the match, chasing down a target of 371 runs, with Ben Duckett scoring 149. This victory gave England a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.

Bumrah's statistics in 2024 highlight his dominance: 78 wickets in just 15 Test matches, making him the leading fast bowler globally.

His workload has been substantial, with 410.4 overs bowled, the most among all pace bowlers worldwide. He surpasses Australia's Mitchell Starc (362.3 overs) and England's Gus Atkinson (328 overs and 54 wickets). Among Indian bowlers, only Ravindra Jadeja has exceeded 400 overs (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 rest for the upcoming Test at Edgbaston. Siraj is likely to lead the pace attack, despite his performance in the Headingley Test.

The second Test of the series is scheduled to begin on July 2 in Birmingham.

This discussion about Bumrah's potential in javelin throw highlights the crossover of athletic abilities between cricket and track and field, especially the similar physical demands of fast bowling and javelin throwing.

The announcement was made to promote the upcoming Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin throw event on July 5, broadcast on Star Sports.