"Bowl to the batsman, not to the name" - Jasprit Bumrah reveals Indian legend's advice on Mumbai Indians debut

Mumbai Indians (MI) fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has stated that cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar advised him not to worry about which batter was facing him at the other end and treat him like any other player. The 31-year-old admitted that Tendulkar's words helped ease his nerves ahead of his debut for the franchise.

Bumrah made his MI debut against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in April 2013. He claimed figures of 3/32 in four overs, removing Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair in his first match for the franchise.

“When I came here, Sachin Tendulkar was still playing. It was his last year. Initially, when a 19-year-old comes into this atmosphere and sees such legends of the game everywhere, the level of cricket is so high and so different from under-19 cricket. I was a little overwhelmed."

"But when I played my first game, before starting the game, he told me that ‘Don’t look at the individual. Bowl to the batsman, not to the name.’ That helped me quite a lot,” Bumrah said at a promotional event via Sportstar.

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Jasprit Bumrah feels Mumbai Indians have peaked at the right time

The Mumbai Indians (MI) began their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign with three defeats in their first five matches. However, they have recovered splendidly to win six matches in a row and have given themselves a strong chance to qualify for the playoffs.

Bumrah believes that MI have peaked at the right time and added that it is "a very good sign" that they have not had to rely on one player to win them matches.

“We, as a team, started a bit slow. But ahead of the business end of the tournament, we peaked at the right time. It’s a very good sign for us as we are not dependent on one individual to win us the game,” the fast bowler said.

The five-time champions next take on the Gujarat Titans at home on Tuesday, May 6.