“Bumrah is a source of inspiration for us” – India U19 pacer Naman Tiwari recalls receiving advice from star pacer at NCA

India’s Under-19 left-arm pacer Naman Tiwari feels Jasprit Bumrah is a source of inspiration for him and the budding bowlers. Tiwari has impressed in the ongoing Under-19 World Cup and has played a key role in taking India to the summit clash.

Tiwari has picked 10 wickets in the five matches he has played at an impressive average of 17.50 in the ongoing World Cup. The left-arm pacer has also bagged two four-wicket hauls against Ireland and the USA. Tiwari also accounted for a well-settled Richard Seletswane in the thrilling semifinal against South Africa.

Tiwari recalled how tips from Jasprit Bumrah are helping him take giant strides.

“Bumrah is a source of inspiration for us. I watch his bowling videos a lot. I have met him several times at NCA and talked to him a lot about the mentality and skills of a bowler. He has explained a lot (of things to me), which is useful. He told me how to bowl accurate yorkers, and I have worked a lot (on that aspect) following his advice. I have to work hard to bring more aggression in this (my bowling),” Naman Tiwari told PTI Bhasha ahead of the 2024 U19 World Cup final against Australia.

The youngster added he tries to learn from world-class bowlers. Tiwari revealed he is a fan of Shoaib Akhtar’s speed, Dale Steyn’s swing, and Mitchell Starc’s aggression.

“I try to learn something from every bowler I like. I try to understand and learn by watching his (Bumrah’s) videos. I like Shoaib Akhtar’s speed, Dale Steyn’s swing and Mitchell Starc’s aggression very much,” Tiwari added.

Tiwari dreams of breaking Shoaib Akhtar’s record and wants to bowl the fastest ball ever.

“One day I want to bowl the fastest ball in the world. I also want to play the World Cup with the senior team. But, for now, I have to focus on performance. I want to continuously improve my game because the challenges will be even bigger in the future and I will have to prepare my base to face them,” Tiwari said

India’s Under-19 team will face Australia in the summit clash on Sunday.