Jayawardene also revealed he deals with MI players.
Sri Lankan cricket legend and Mumbai Indians’ head coach Mahela Jayawardene has heaped praise on Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah who also plays for MI in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Apart from the Indian cricket team, Bumrah has been instrumental in the MI’s success in the premier domestic T20 league, where the franchise is the most successful side with four IPL trophies, with his unorthodox action and ability to bowl yorkers along with the death overs specialty.
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India’s No. 1 bowler across all formats has been playing for the MI in the IPL since debuting back in 2013, taking 82 wickets from 77 matches for the franchise and now became a vital cog in MI’s wheel. Even the master of yorker's rapid rise at the international stage must go to the MI.
Describing Bumrah, Jayawardene said the 26-year-old is generally a quiet character and is very calm off the field but when he goes out in the middle, he is a completely different beast on the cricket field.
Jayawardene said on Sony Ten PitStop: “Bums (Jasprit Bumrah) is quiet but when he goes out in the middle there is a different beast. Hardik (Pandya) can be a bit loud off the field and he can be loud on the field. I enjoy that. That dressing room, we got some amazing guys. So talented. It’s been a pleasure managing those guys and being part of the franchise.”
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Meanwhile, Jayawardene, who replaced Ricky Ponting as MI head coach in 2017, also revealed that there are different characters in the MI set-up and his job is to manage the different players in the dressing rooms in order to get the best out of them, as the management is most responsible for success.
He signed off by saying, “All these guys have different characteristics. You need to allow them to express themselves. You need to create an environment where these characters come together and perform. It’s more manageable. You need to be a manager for these players.”
(With Hindustan Times Inputs)