Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra Tips Cricketer Jasprit Bumrah for Javelin Success

Neeraj Chopra, India's Olympic champion, has identified Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian cricket team's fast bowler, as a potential javelin star. This surprising assessment came during a special segment on Star Sports, hosted by Navjot Singh Sidhu.

India's Neeraj Chopra (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary)

Chopra believes Bumrah possesses the physical attributes and techniques necessary to excel in the sport. He focused on Bumrah's fitness and strength as crucial elements that would make him a successful javelin thrower if he weren't already a renowned 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 on Star Sports.

Bumrah's recent cricketing performance underscores his exceptional 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 prowess. He has secured 78 wickets in just 15 Test matches, making him the leading fast bowler globally during this period.

His workload is also noteworthy, having bowled 410.4 overs, the highest among all pace bowlers worldwide. This is more than Australia's Mitchell Starc (362.3 overs) and England's Gus Atkinson (328 overs and 54 wickets). Among Indian bowlers, Ravindra Jadeja is the only other player to surpass 400 overs, with 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 less-than-stellar performance in the Headingley Test.

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

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

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