Bumrah Sacrificed His Favorite Foods to Build Bull-Like Strength in Bowling

Jasprit Bumrah has long been the spearhead of India’s pace attack. Since making his international debut in 2016, the right-arm quick has played 207 matches for India, bagging 457 wickets. His greatest strengths with the ball are raw pace and lethal yorkers. But maintaining that pace and fitness has demanded sacrifices since his early days.

Recently, India’s former bowling coach Bharat Arun revealed the untold story behind Bumrah’s success. Speaking at an event, Arun said:
“Once, Bumrah’s bowling action was changed, but that reduced his pace. Eventually, he reverted to his old action. The new one was technically fine, but it lacked speed. And without pace, what is a fast bowler’s weapon?”

Arun further explained that apart from action, Bumrah had to change his lifestyle and eating habits to gain bull-like strength.
“We told him that to bowl fast, he needed the strength of a bull. That required fitness, proper diet, and sacrifices. Bumrah immediately accepted the challenge. Earlier, he loved burgers, pizzas, and milkshakes. But he gave them up overnight and committed himself to gym work and a strict diet. Like Virat Kohli, he became extremely dedicated to fitness.”

The results are clear in his records: Bumrah has 219 wickets in Tests, 149 in ODIs, and 89 in T20Is. In the IPL, he has added another 183 wickets to his tally. Forgetting his love for junk food, Bumrah embraced his love for the ball — transforming himself into one of the most feared pacers in the world. The Indian pace machine even sacrificed his childhood favorites to become what he is today.