India’s pacemaker Jasprit Bumrah Widely regarded as one of the finest bowlers in world cricket today, his influence and stature often see him competing with the likes of Virat Kohli In terms of influence. However, former India pacer and current bowling coach of Delhi Capitals Munaf Patel Offers a candid and thought-provoking look into Bumrah’s popularity and the wider fast bowling ecosystem in India.Speaking on TOI Sports’ Mumbai Exchange podcast, Munaf acknowledged Bumrah’s superstar status but pointed out that the level of mass appeal is still not the same as that of a batsman like Kohli.
“Sir, how will this happen? Look at Virat Kohli’s popularity and Bumrah’s popularity. There is a difference,” Munaf Patel said. “There is no doubt that Bumrah is a star but there is a difference when you compare his popularity with someone like Virat Kohli,” he added. The conversation soon turned from individual stars to a deeper issue: the development of India’s fast bowlers. Munaf highlighted the systemic challenges and stressed that while India has started producing faster bowlers, there is still a gap at the grassroots level in terms of awareness, training and proper guidance.He made the striking observation that pace is the main currency of modern cricket.“If you ask me to find bowlers who can bowl at 125 kph, I can bring a lot of them. But if you ask me to find bowlers who can bowl at 140-plus consistently, they are very rare,” he explained. “The reality is, if you throw more than 140 pitches, you’re not going to get overlooked. There’s almost no chance.”Munaf went on to highlight what he sees as a paradox in Indian cricket, which is that despite the clear need for real pace, many aspiring fast bowlers are not trained effectively to achieve those paces.“That’s actually the easiest path out there,” he said. “If you bowl fast and can score 135-140+, then you will get into the Indian team very quickly. But if you bowl 125, you may not get selected no matter how much you swing the ball.” intense pulsed light auction. “He also questioned whether enough is being done at the institutional level to develop fast bowlers scientifically. Talking about facilities like the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Munaf stressed the need for structured training involving coaches, trainers and physios to help bowlers increase their pace safely and effectively.“You need to understand how to build rhythm, strength, technique and workload management. Who is teaching that? That’s the point,” he added.Munaf’s comments reflect the wider conversation in Indian cricket about balancing the celebration of world-class talent like Bumrah with the urgent need to build a sustainable pipeline of quality fast bowlers for the future.
