This exclusive interview is part of ROPORTAJ Podcast, where we bring you in-depth discussions with authors, journalists, and thought leaders from around the world.
In the modern landscape of international cricket, India stands undisputed as the game’s vibrant epicentre. Yet, while the nation has historically celebrated legendary batsmen and master spinners, a fast-bowling revolution has quietly reshaped its destiny. At the heart of this transformation is Jasprit Bumrah, a once-in-a-generation talent whose unorthodox action, relentless work ethic, and fierce competitive mindset have redefined modern fast bowling.
To understand how a young boy from a single-parent family in Ahmedabad rose from total obscurity without any traditional junior cricket pathways to become the world’s most feared bowler, author and cricket historian Nicholas Brookes teamed up with Ayush to write The Boom Effect.
In this insightful and revealing conversation for ROPORTAJ, journalist Daanish Bin Nabi sits down with Nicholas Brookes to explore the mysteries behind Bumrah’s hypermobility, the untold story of his upbringing, and why this unique fast bowler has changed the face of Indian cricket forever.
Excerpts
Daanish Bin Nabi: Nicholas, you have written extensively on Sri Lankan cricket. What drew you to write a book on Bumrah?
Nicholas Brookes: It’s an excellent question, Daanish. First of all, with the way cricket’s progressed in the last two or three decades, I think it’s inarguable now that India is the new home of cricket. And in Jasprit Bumrah, you have a cricketer who’s changed the face of Indian cricket, who’s potentially changed the fortunes of the Indian national cricket team, but who has this fascinating backstory which has been very much underexplored and under-touched on.
He didn’t play any junior cricket for India, didn’t come through the traditional pathways, and grew up playing a lot of gully cricket in Ahmedabad. I just thought that Jasprit Bumrah was a fascinating phenomenon, a once-in-a-lifetime kind of cricketer who comes along and takes a wrench to the pipework, who changes the system from the inside out, and who deserved to be looked at in more depth. So yeah, that was what drew me to the project, and it was a fascinating one to work on.
Daanish Bin Nabi: You mentioned that India is the face of the game. Is that primarily because of the financial power of the BCCI?
Nicholas Brookes: The money’s there, the passion’s there, the following’s there. If you look at the crowds that are turning out night after night for the IPL, and then you compare that to how domestic cricket is watched anywhere else in the world, it’s night and day, right?
The passion that India has for cricket is unmatched. Its population is 1.6 or 1.7 billion people, it could fit all the other cricketing countries together inside it. So, I think it is the home of cricket not just because of the money, but because of the passion and because of the incredible quality of cricket you’re seeing throughout India.
Daanish Bin Nabi: Back to the book: you didn’t get direct access to Bumrah. How did that shape the final product?
Nicholas Brookes: Of course, when we started the book, we hoped that we might get some access to Bumrah, though we knew that was unlikely because he’s a very private person. In terms of shaping the book, there are always biographical gaps which you hope a subject might be able to fill in when you speak to them.
I think really, though, this book is less about Jasprit Bumrah the person, and more about Jasprit Bumrah the phenomenon—how Bumrah came to be, how this normal kid from Ahmedabad, from a single-parent family who hadn’t played any organized cricket, goes on to become the greatest fast bowler India’s ever seen, and probably the greatest fast bowler we’ve seen since the dawn of T20 cricket.
The lack of access, initially something Ayush and I found slightly perturbing, ended up working in our favor. It forced us to be innovative and dynamic in our thinking, making us examine long and hard why Bumrah was such a unique phenomenon. Ultimately, it shaped the narrative in a really positive way.
Daanish Bin Nabi: What was the central mystery about Bumrah you wanted to solve?
Nicholas Brookes: I think everything about Bumrah is mysterious and enigmatic, from his background and how he went from playing no junior cricket to suddenly being picked in the IPL, to how his bowling action fits together. How does a guy end up bowling 145–150 clicks off a walk that looks like a horse trotting in? How does this hypermobility come into play, because everyone knows Bumrah’s body doesn’t work the same way most people’s bodies do?
How is a guy who kept being written off at every step of the journey, called a “one-trick pony,” a “flash in the pan,” or just a white-ball cricketer, able to keep defying the odds? And ultimately, we wanted to ask: Has Bumrah’s presence changed the broader culture and landscape of Indian cricket, shifting a tradition deeply rooted in batsmanship and spin?
Daanish Bin Nabi: How does Bumrah’s hypermobility actually allow him to bowl so fast, sometimes faster than the speed gun suggests?
Nicholas Brookes: A lot of it comes down to the release point. It’s not news to anyone that Bumrah releases the ball from a very different position than most fast bowlers. We have a diagram in our book showing that while someone like Mitchell Starc delivers almost vertically, at 12 o’clock on a clock face, Bumrah is right out in front, somewhere between 10 and 11 o’clock.
That does two things. First, he’s delivering the ball from up to half a meter closer on a 22-yard pitch, which naturally makes the ball come onto the batsman quicker. Second, his braced front leg generates massive pace, and his hypermobility gives him what I call a “whipcord arm.” Like a whip moving faster through the air than a straight stick, Bumrah’s arm has bend and flex.
Furthermore, because he pulls down on the ball from a position in front of his body rather than above, he puts a lot more power into his wrist flick, generating superior backspin. This gives him a stable seam position and makes the ball kick differently off the surface. He completely disrupts the subconscious predictive algorithms that professional batters rely on. Even legends like Sachin Tendulkar or Ricky Ponting facing him for the first time realize they are seeing something entirely unprecedented.
Daanish Bin Nabi: It emerges from the book that Bumrah is not a traditional athlete in the classic sense. How has that shaped his journey?
Nicholas Brookes: It was something that really surprised us: a number of people we spoke to said he wasn’t the most naturally brawny or athletic guy. He didn’t love gym work initially, but he committed to it wholeheartedly because he absolutely loved bowling.
Most people who knew Bumrah told us the thing that sets him apart is what’s between his ears, his brain. He had to strive every step of the way. Even when playing for Gujarat Under-19s, there were administrators and other players who doubted him or promoted others ahead of him. Having to work relentlessly and prove people wrong built a deep value of hard work that shines through every time he steps onto the field.
Daanish Bin Nabi: Before we move further, could you briefly outline a profile of Jasprit Bumrah for readers and viewers who may not follow cricket closely? When did he start, and how did he reach the Indian team?
Nicholas Brookes: Absolutely. In The Boom Effect, we explore how Bumrah was plucked from obscurity by John Wright playing his second T20 game for Gujarat, and was thrown into the cauldron of the IPL with the Mumbai Indians back around 2011 or 2012.
From being a complete unknown, he enjoyed an incredible rise, becoming one of the best bowlers in the IPL, earning his maiden India cap, and simply refusing to stop proving his doubters wrong. Before long, he established himself as the premier fast bowler across all three formats of international cricket.
Daanish Bin Nabi: What did you discover about his mental approach that sets him apart from his teammates?
Nicholas Brookes: Bumrah’s approach diverges sharply from the traditional image of the angry, snarling fast bowler trying to verbally or physically intimidate batters. Bumrah operates with a smile and a sense of calm—underpinned by mindfulness and sports meditation training.
In his younger days, there was a bit more fire and rage, older fans might remember him giving a fiery send-off to AB de Villiers in his early IPL career. But he evolved to treat cricket as a mental game. Whether influenced by mentors like Lasith Malinga, who stressed that anger detracts from skill execution, or his own life experiences, Bumrah developed a unique zen-like mindset.
He actually covets pressure. Wanting to bowl the death overs in an IPL or World Cup final, or stepping up in Test matches when India desperately needs a breakthrough, takes a rare kind of courage. We suspect this fearlessness traces back to his childhood: after losing his father at a very young age, he grew up with his mother and sister, becoming the man of the house early on. He understands hardship and sacrifice, and for him, cricket remains an ultimate expression of joy and release.
Daanish Bin Nabi: What was the most surprising thing you learned about his early childhood and upbringing?
Nicholas Brookes: I was genuinely surprised that he hadn’t played any hardball or organized cricket until he was around 15 or 16. I had assumed he came through a traditional academy setup in Gujarat. Instead, his cricket was entirely forged playing gully cricket with friends.
When he was suddenly drafted into the Gujarat setup at 17, established players like Parthive Patel and Rush Kalaria were wondering where this kid came from as he bowled yorkers that shattered bats and stumps out of nowhere. Former teammates like Manpreet Juneja also shared how Bumrah loved to mimic other bowlers in the nets—bowling left-arm or copying Jimmy Anderson’s outswinging action!
Even the data surprised us. While commentators often call him “skiddy” and assume his balls stay low, data provided by him and Ayush showed the exact opposite: Bumrah bowls “heavy balls” that actually bounce more than expected for the length he hits.
Daanish Bin Nabi: While researching and writing this book, how did you balance his on-field genius with his private life?
Nicholas Brookes: We were primarily interested in Bumrah the bowler, and only looked into his private life where it directly intersected with his cricket and origin story. We went to his childhood home in Ahmedabad because that root story had never been properly told.
Strangely, as an outsider coming from the UK, I was surprised by how understated his presence was in Ahmedabad. You wouldn’t immediately see his face plastered across massive billboards or kids’ shirts everywhere, and even residents in his former apartment building sometimes didn’t realize what a global icon had grown up among them. It’s a fascinating reflection of cricket culture and the traditional preference for batsmen in India.
Daanish Bin Nabi: Nicholas, before we wrap up, what is the next cricket story you want to tell your readers?
Nicholas Brookes: There are so many stories out there, Daanish! I’m still exploring and figuring out my next project, but new stories emerge every single day. I hope to have another one ready for readers very soon.
Daanish Bin Nabi: Nicholas, thank you very much for your time. It was an absolute pleasure talking to you. Let me hold your book up once more for our viewers — The Boom Effect — so they can grab a copy, read it, and dive deep into his remarkable journey.
Nicholas Brookes: Thank you so much for your time, Daanish. We truly appreciate the kind words about the book. Great meeting you!
Daanish Bin Nabi: Thank you, you too. Cheers!
Disclaimer: This text was generated from the podcast audio and may slightly differ from the actual spoken conversation.