Neeraj Chopra Touts Jasprit Bumrah's Javelin Potential: Olympic Gold Medalist Sees Cricket Star's Throwing Talent

Neeraj Chopra, India's Olympic gold medalist, has made a surprising pick for an athlete who could dominate in javelin throw: Jasprit Bumrah. During a recent segment on Star Sports, hosted by Navjot Singh Sidhu, Chopra highlighted the Indian cricket team's fast bowler as possessing the necessary attributes for success in the sport.

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

Chopra's assessment centers around the inherent physical strengths and techniques that fast bowlers develop, making them potentially well-suited for javelin. He emphasized Bumrah's exceptional fitness and power as pivotal assets that would translate favorably to the throwing discipline, were he not already a star 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, underscoring his confidence in Bumrah's potential.

Bumrah's recent cricketing achievements serve as a testament to his athletic capabilities. Notably, in the first Test match against England at Headingley, he claimed 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 triumph provided England with a 1-0 lead in the ongoing five-match Test series.

Bumrah's statistics for 2024 highlight his dominance as a fast bowler. He has taken an impressive 78 wickets in just 15 Test matches, leading all fast bowlers worldwide during this period. His workload is significant, having bowled 410.4 overs, the most among all pace bowlers globally. This exceeds 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 bowl over 400 overs (400.1). 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 anticipated to spearhead the pace attack, despite his underwhelming performance in the Headingley Test. The second Test of the series is set to commence on July 2 in Birmingham, where India will strive to level the series against England.

The discussion around Bumrah's potential in javelin throw underscores the transferable skills between cricket and track and field, particularly the shared physical demands of fast bowling and javelin throwing.

The announcement was strategically timed to promote the upcoming Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin throw event, scheduled for July 5, which will be broadcast on Star Sports.