MI bowling coach reveals 'one trait bowlers should pick from Jasprit Bumrah'

Mumbai Indians bowling coach Paras Mhambrey praised Jasprit Bumrah, pointing to his work ethic and his growth over the years as both a bowler and a person.Speaking at a press conference before their IPL 2026 match against Rajasthan Royals, Mhambrey spoke about Bumrah’s journey from a young player to a leading name in world cricket."One value that every individual and bowler should pick up from Boom (Bumrah) is clearly his work ethic. The way he goes about it in the nets, tick marking everything that he has worked on and will be using during the game. But, in the last few years with the Indian team...he has grown into a phenomenal bowler and even more so as an individual, which has been amazing," the MI bowling coach said, as cited by news agency ANI.Talking about the team’s bowling plans in the first two matches and his role as a coach, Mhambrey said the focus remains on taking wickets and sticking to plans.Paras said, "As a bowling group...we always discuss how to get wickets in the middle, execute our plans, maintain the pressure on oppositions and how to exploit individual strengths and weaknesses."He also explained how pitch conditions change from one venue to another and how that affects bowling."Both surfaces have been different, and just to give you all an idea, when we play in Mumbai, we have red soil pitches. Red soil characteristics are different. You have bounce due to the grass on it, and shots can be played easily. Square cuts and pull shots can be played very well on those surfaces. When we go and play on black soil surfaces in Delhi, one does not get that bounce and must access different areas."Mhambrey also spoke about working with young players like Ashwani Kumar and Mohammad Izhar, and how the team plans its bowling strategies each season."Firstly credit should go to the scouts who go around and watch games and see these young guns' skill sets. For me, I put myself in their shoes and ask myself what I was thinking when I was at this stage in my career. When I was new to the game, finding my foothold here...how do I handle pressure and failures during certain stages. That gives me a better perspective on what could be a conversation starter with them. Also, spending a lot of time with individuals helps understand what kind of character he is and what kind of conversations he is seeking."On whether there are separate roles for bowling coaches, including Lasith Malinga, Mhambrey said both are working towards the same goal."There is no line of difference. Both of us know what our final objective is. It is like having two sides to a coin. We have trust, understanding and respect amongst ourselves. There is no competition; both of us are working towards the end goal for our team," he said.