IPL 2016: Playing tennis-ball cricket helped in developing yorkers, says Bumrah

Bowling with a slightly unorthodox action, Bumrah is currently third in the wicket-takers list in this IPL season, picking up eight wickets from seven matches at an economy rate of 8.15. One of the specialities of the right-arm pacer’s bowling is his ability to deliver yorkers at will, and the 22-year old credits tennis-ball cricket for his accuracy.

"With only one ball you cannot be successful. I try to mix my pace and try to use yorkers. I used to play tennis ball cricket quite a lot before playing serious cricket. Over there you bowl yorkers. That could be the reason I bowl yorkers. But it's difficult to bowl and I have to practice continuously," said Bumrah, reported PTI.

Although the bowling spearhead of the defending champions, Lasith Malinga, will not be seen in action this time around, Bumrah believes that the team has enough firepower in their ranks to compensate for the Sri Lankan pacer’s absence.

"He's a world-class bowler. We will miss him. But as a bowling group, we have been doing well. Mitchell McClenaghan has been doing very well, Tim Southee too," he pointed out.

When asked about the difference in playing domestic cricket, the Indian Premier League, and the International level, the 22-year old from Gujarat said that although there is a huge difference in terms of standard of cricket, he tries to maintain the same mindset to succeed at each level.

"The level of cricket is different from Gujarat and first class to IPL and international cricket. I try to maintain the same mindset. That way there's less pressure on me and I can play freely," said Bumrah.

Mumbai Indians will play their last match at Wankhede on Thursday against Kolkata Knight Riders after the Bombay High Court ordered the shifting of matches in the month of May out of drought-hit Maharashtra. Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh stadium will play host to the last three home games of the defending champions.