Jasprit Bumrah: IPL 2026: From being unable to afford milk to becoming a cricket hero: The quiet rise of Jasprit Bumrah – The Times of India
With the on-going IPL season, cricketers and their stories of struggles, grit and determination are what inspire many. One such ace Indian cricketer is Jasprit Bumrah, who is currently playing for the Mumbai Indians (MI) this season. Today, Jasprit Bumrah is spoken of in the same breath as the greatest fast bowlers in the world. His slingy action, pinpoint yorkers, and ability to dismantle even the toughest batters in pressure moments have made him India’s go‑to death‑over assassin across formats. He has several records to his name: the most wickets by an Indian bowler in an away Test series, the only Indian bowler to reach the top ranking in all three formats, and one of the few Asian bowlers to cross 150 wickets in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries, among others. Yet, behind this polished image lies a story soaked in struggle, resilience, and quiet determination.Bumrah wasn’t born into privilege or comfort. His father, Jasbir Singh, passed away due to illness when Jasprit was just seven years old and in second standard, as per reports. Suddenly, the responsibility of raising two children—Jasprit and his sister Juhika—fell on his mother, Daljeet, a school teacher. Her job, once a part of everyday life, now became the fragile bridge between survival and collapse to make ends meet for her family.One of the most telling glimpses into that time came from Deepal Trivedi, Bumrah’s neighbour, close family friend, and later a senior journalist. Deepal, who once held baby Jasprit in her arms in a hospital in Ahmedabad in December 1993, recalled in a 2024 post on X (which is now deleted) how thin and weak he looked at birth.“One day in December 1993, when my salary was less than Rs 800 a month, my best friend and next door neighbour compelled me to take a leave. She was expecting. I must have been 22-23 years old also and I spent most of my day at a hospital in Paldi area that December in Ahmedabad. My friend Daljit’s husband Jasbir had stepped out for a few minutes when the nurse shouted our name and later put a baby in my shaky hands. That was my first time touching a newborn baby. All I remember was the baby was lanky. He was trying to smile but he really didn’t. The nurse said he was a boy. He was thin and weak. And the doctor soon took charge. My friend was very happy. I was already a god mother to her daughter Juhika,” Deepal had written.She remembers the modest joy of that day, the shared laughter, the simple “happy family” routine that suddenly shattered when Jasbir passed away untimely. After his death, Deepal stayed close, helping Daljeet take care of the children, reading to them, and even sharing their limited food when she could. In those days, even a packet of milk felt like a luxury they couldn’t always afford.There’s a particularly heart-touching moment she brought up in her post: a day when she received a small salary increment and went to buy herself a kurta at Westside, the “poshest” store she knew at the time. With her, shy and quiet, stood eight‑year‑old Jasprit, hiding bashfully behind his mother’s dupatta. He wasn’t asking for anything; he just watched his mother make do with less. Deepal, seeing that, chose not to buy herself new clothes. Instead, she used the money to buy Jasprit a windcheater. For years, she didn’t own a new festive outfit, but the quiet satisfaction of seeing him wrapped in that little jacket made her feel richer than any designer label ever could. “I remember once I got some increment and I went to Westside, the most posh shop I then knew to buy a kurta. Jasprit was there, must be 8 years old with his mom, hiding behind her dupatta. He wanted a windcheater. That’s my only gift to him. I spent Diwali, Christmas and my birthday without a new kurta. But his windcheater gave me the satisfaction of wearing a Rajdeep Ranawat or a Manish Malhotra or who ever,” she added.Growing up in that environment left its mark, but it didn’t crush his spirit. As a child, he loved playing with a plastic ball, copying the bowling actions of cricketers he watched on TV, Deepal shared.His mother, Daljeet, often complained about the noise. To let her get her much‑needed afternoon rest, she laid down a simple condition: Jasprit had to bowl without making a racket, as per reports. The quiet solution he came up with? He began targeting the base of the wall, where it met the floor. Without realising it, he was teaching his hand to deliver pin‑point yorkers, the very delivery that years later would freeze even the world’s best hitters.
Photo: Jasprit Bumrah/ Instagram
Despite her fears and the trauma of losing her husband, Daljeet never stood in his way. When a young Jasprit told her he wanted to become a professional cricketer, she listened, worried, but also quietly amazed by his seriousness. She saw in him a focus that most children his age lacked. That early determination carried him through rejections, trials, and countless “you’re not good enough” moments, until he finally earned his chance in the IPL with Mumbai Indians. The rest, as they say, is history.In his personal life, too, Bumrah has walked a quiet, conscious path. He met sports presenter Sanjana Ganesan around 2013–14, and their friendship slowly grew into a deep, supportive partnership. The two married in a private ceremony in March 2021, later welcoming a child in September 2023, bringing a new chapter of responsibility and joy into his life.Deepal Trivedi’s viral post after the T20 World Cup 2024—where she shared intimate, almost film‑like memories of his childhood—struck a chord with millions. It reminded people that behind the trophy, the rankings, and the million‑dollar contracts, was a boy who once couldn’t afford a packet of milk.But on July 1, 2024, she deleted the viral post and shared in another tweet:“Victory is about celebration and revelry! This World Cup victory reflects the beauty and synergy of India’s wonderful team and supersonic players.Considering how private a person Jasprit Bumrah is, I am deleting the earlier post that appeared slightly squeamish which we didn’t intend it to be.We are true warriors. We live in the present. We celebrate life! Hence, I am deleting the earlier tweet. My only intention was to share Jasprit’s inspiring journey and, in turn, further inspire youngsters across the world who see him as a super youth icon.God bless Jasprit. God bless India. God bless the Indian Team. Jaihind.”Though she later deleted the post out of respect for Bumrah’s incredibly private nature, her intent remained clear: to show the world that hope, hard work, and love can turn even the most fragile beginnings into something extraordinary. And Jasprit Bumrah’s life journey is proof of this.
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