India's veteran batter KL Rahul admitted that going up against Jasprit Bumrah in the nets is not a pleasant experience for any batter. Rahul was informed about his stellar Indian Premier League (IPL) record against the Mumbai Indians (MI) speedster. The Delhi Capitals (DC) batter had a hilarious response saying he does not want to cop a blow in the nets next time he faces the pacer.
"I will not agree because he’ll break my head in the next net. He’ll break my head or break my toe in the next session. So, I’m not saying anything. No comments," Rahul said in a conversation with presenter Jasprit Bumrah on the Humans of Bombay YouTube channel.
Rahul vs Bumrah in IPL numbers
In the IPL, Rahul has faced Bumrah in 14 innings. He has scored 146 runs from 118 deliveries against the pacer, hitting him for four sixes and 13 fours. His strike rate against the bowler is 123.7. Bumrah has dismissed Rahul twice in his IPL career.
Rahul dreads net session vs Bumrah
Rahul revealed that Bumrah does not like batters hitting him even in the nets.
"Very, very angry. But first of all, it’s not easy to hit him in the net; very few people can do it,” he said.
Rahul went on to say that Bumrah is the hardest bowler to hit even you are used to his action. He says that batters find it difficult to pick instantly.
"He’s the hardest bowler to hit, to hit for sure. Now I think at least we play him day in and day out, so you’re used to his action and release point a little bit, but if you’re just facing him as an opposition from a different country it’s just very difficult to pick him firstly -defend against him, then to even think of scoring against him becomes that much more harder," the 33-year-old said.
In addition, Rahul has found a way to prevent Bumrah from going ballistic against him. He soothes his ego by calling him unplayable even if he manages to hit him during a practice session.
"Vo toh daant peesta hi rehta hai (He keeps grinding their teeth all the time), every time where you can see his face and his nerves and everything, just like, you know, he’s ready for a fight… Sometimes you have to tell him, Bumrah, same team bro, it’s okay. Wickets from nets won't get counted, so then he laughs. I play that card with him saying, "Boss, you’re unplayable, you’re just too good, don’t worry, bowl slowly," Rahul concluded.
Bumrah, Rahul in action later this week
Bumrah has been in good form of late. He picked up a five-wicket haul at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, against South Africa in a losing cause. On the other hand, Rahul scored 39 in the first innings but faltered in the run chase as India lost the match by 30 runs, chasing a target of 124 on a tough track. They will be seen in action as India look to draw the two-Test series. The second Test commences on November 22 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati.