Now ranked as the top Test bowler in the world, Jasprit Bumrah is excited to take on one of his favorite cricketing challenges: bowling in England with the Dukes ball. Bumrah is already picturing the swing, the cloud cover, and the battle that lies ahead as India’s summer tour gets underway with a warm-up match from June 13–16 and the first Test in Leeds on June 20.
“Playing in England is always a different challenge,” Bumrah told former Australia captain Michael Clarke on the Beyond23 YouTube channel. “I always love bowling with the Dukes ball.
“But I don’t know how much the Duke’s ball is doing right now because there’s always constant changes to the ball. But the weather, the swinging conditions. And then when the ball becomes soft, there’s always a challenge. So I always look forward to playing in England.”
Aside from the 2021 WTC final against New Zealand, this will be Bumrah’s third Test series in England. He has already claimed 37 wickets at an incredible average of 23.78 in just eight away Test matches there.
Bumrah is aware that he would be in charge of a vibrant, yet comparatively inexperienced, team with a pace attack loaded with up-and-coming quicks like Siraj, Arshdeep, Prasidh Krishna, and Akash Deep.
“They’re playing an interesting style of cricket which is interesting because I don’t really understand it too much,” Bumrah said. “But as a bowling unit, we always feel confident that when the batters are being ultra-aggressive, on a given day, anybody could run through and get wickets.
The 46-day India five-Test series will take place at Leeds, Birmingham, Lord’s, Manchester, and The Oval. However, Bumrah might not play in all five games due to his injury history and workload issues. Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector, has previously alluded to cautious handling.
Bumrah is still interested in all three formats despite having a hectic nine months ahead of him, which includes a T20 World Cup in early 2026. But he is aware that balance is key to sustainability.
“Obviously, it is tough for any individual to keep playing everything for so long,” he said. “I’ve been doing it for a while, but eventually you have to understand where your body is going, what is the important tournament.
Surprisingly, Bumrah isn’t motivated by stats or trophies. He doesn’t have any numerical targets. He is not a record-chaser. Rather, it’s about being in the present and enjoying the moment.
“You have to be a little selective and smart about how you use your body. As a cricketer, I would never want to leave anything and always keep on going. But I don’t set goals or look at numbers. Whenever I have [set goals], I’ve never been able to fulfil them.
“I just try and enjoy it because that’s why I started [playing] this sport. Take one day at a time and collect memories because, at the end of the [career in] sport, that’s all I’ll remember.”
For Bumrah, it’s not about chasing numbers. It’s about chasing meaning. And in England, once again, he’s ready to find it.
Last but not the least, he’s got his eyes on the Olympics too.
“Now, I’ve heard there’s an Olympics in cricket coming as well, so that is something I’m really looking forward to. Who would have thought cricket would become an Olympic sport? So, yeah, that’s something that excites me”
