Bumrah is likely to make his much-awaited comeback from injury against RCB on Monday.
Ahead of the marquee clash, RCB finisher Tim David expressed his wish to see team’s openers -- Virat Kohli and Phil Salt – smashing comeback man Jasprit Bumrah’s first ball for a boundary to make a ‘statement’.
David further stated that Bumrah, who is returning after a three-month long injury hiatus, will present a challenge that RCB ‘want to have’ and enhance the quality of the tournament.
Bumrah sustained a lower back injury during the fifth BGT Test in January this year, which has kept him out of action from MI’s first four matches of the season.
In that period, the five-time champions lost three games to drop to No. 8 in the team standings. On the other hand, RCB won two of their first three matches to occupy the third spot.
“Yeah Bumrah’s pretty widely recognized as the best bowler going around and that’s the challenge we want to have at RCB," David said in the pre-match press conference.
“If we’re going to go deep in this tournament, we need to beat the best teams, we need to beat the best players. So, hopefully Bumrah is bowling the first over tomorrow night and the first ball goes for 4 or 6 from whoever’s opening the batting for us, that’ll be a statement. It’ll be great to have him back playing in the tournament because the game’s better with him in it," he added.
Speaking on his preparations to face Bumrah, David quipped that he’d get his ‘toes out of the way’ before adding that he was looking forward to the challenge.
“I’ll just try and get my toes out of the way, he’s got a pretty lethal yorker. He’s a brilliant bowler and when you put in big performances against the best teams, against the best players, they’re the best feelings you get as a player. So you want to be challenged by the best and I’m looking forward to that," he remarked.
Jasprit Bumrah boasts a fabulous record against RCB, picking up 29 wickets in 19 matches at an average of 19.03. David, who was part of the MI squad in the last three seasons (2022-24), is yet to face Bumrah in the IPL.