Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra Picks Cricketer Jasprit Bumrah as Potential Javelin Star

Neeraj Chopra, India's Olympic champion, has made a surprising pick for a cricketer who could potentially dominate in javelin throw. During a special segment on Star Sports hosted by Navjot Singh Sidhu, Chopra named Indian cricket team's fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah as someone with the physical attributes and techniques suited for the sport.

Chopra emphasized Bumrah's exceptional fitness and strength as crucial elements that would translate well to javelin throwing, were he not already a prominent figure 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 on Star Sports, highlighting the similarities in physical demands between the two disciplines.

Bumrah's recent cricketing performances underscore his remarkable physical capabilities. In the first Test match against England at Headingley, he achieved his 14th five-wicket haul in the first innings.

England ultimately won the match, successfully chasing 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 demonstrate his outstanding abilities. He has taken 78 wickets in only 15 Test matches, leading all fast bowlers worldwide during this period. His workload has been significant, with 410.4 overs bowled, the highest among all pace bowlers globally. This is more than 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, while 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 regarding Bumrah's javelin potential highlights the athletic crossover between cricket and track and field, particularly the comparable physical requirements of fast bowling and javelin throwing.

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