During Rahul Dravid‘s tenure as head coach, Paras Mhambrey served as the bowling coach for the Indian cricket team. After India clinched the T20 World Cup 2024 trophy in Barbados, the contracts of both Dravid and Mhambrey came to an end. Reflecting on his tenure, Mhambrey highlighted Jasprit Bumrah as a “once-in-a-generation” bowler, emphasizing his extraordinary talent and immense contribution to Indian cricket.

Paras Mhambrey names “once-in-a-generation” bowler

Mhambrey played a pivotal role in Bumrah’s development at various levels, helping him evolve into one of the premier bowlers in world cricket. Despite his crucial influence, Mhambrey humbly remarked that there wasn’t much coaching required for a bowler of Bumrah’s innate ability. He praised Bumrah’s exceptional skill set, cricketing acumen, and his swift game-reading capabilities.

“I don’t think I have had to do much with him. I would love to say that I’ve worked on him a lot as a bowling coach. What better than Bumrah performing and I taking the credit? But I don’t. I’ve said in the past… he is a once-in-a-generation bowler. India has produced great bowlers, and more will come, but Bumrah is a once-in-a-generation bowler in all three formats,” Mhambrey was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

“Be it the red ball, ODI, or T20I, he is No1. He has exceptional skills. He understands how bowling well, has clear plans. When I talk to him, I realise that he has a very clear mindset and knows what he is going to do. He understands when a batter is uncomfortable facing him. He then tries to exploit the situation. He will pick up small nuances to guess what the batter is trying to do,” Mhambrey concluded.

Also READ: Aussie legend Brett Lee reveals the best bowler in the world across all formats

Stellar performances in ICC tournaments

Since making his international comeback in August 2023 after recovering from an injury, Bumrah has been instrumental in India’s success across all formats. His performances have significantly bolstered India’s bowling attack and contributed to their recent triumphs in major ICC tournaments.

In the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, Bumrah played a critical role in India’s journey to the final. Over 11 matches, he claimed 20 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 4.06. His knack for delivering crucial breakthroughs and maintaining relentless pressure on opponents was pivotal to India’s campaign. Bumrah’s performance in the recently concluded T20 World Cup was nothing short of phenomenal. In 8 matches, he took 15 wickets with a remarkable economy rate of 4.17. His stellar bowling was instrumental in India lifting the trophy, ending an 11-year ICC title drought for the men’s team. His exceptional performance earned him the Player of the Tournament award.

Also READ: Brian Lara picks the greatest fast bowler ever to play the game; sparks debate

For latest cricket news & updates, visit CricketTimes.com.