For any hitter, facing Jasprit Bumrah and the Mumbai Indians is a difficult assignment. Bumrah’s deadly bowling has taken many teams and players out. But two years ago, in a game between MI and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a teenage RCB prodigy displayed remarkable batting ability against the five-time champions and their ace bowler, defying all the odds.

Let’s go back to IPL 2022, match number 18, which took place at Pune’s MCA Stadium. After losing three straight games, MI was in a desperate attempt to turn things around. Suryakumar Yadav, in form at the time, led them to 151/6 when he batted first, but any dreams of protecting the total were dashed when RCB got off to a fast start, reaching 50/0 in eight overs. Unexpectedly, teenage Anuj Rawat scored the most of the runs in that combination while recently chosen captain Faf du Plessis managed just 16 runs.
Together, Rawat and Virat Kohli forged an 80-run partnership, almost securing the victory for RCB. All Rawat could think about during his innings was how to take Bumrah on. Luckily for him, RCB batting coach Sanjay Bangar, who had played Indian cricket for years and had seen Bumrah up close and personal, had covered everything for him before the game. Rawat, then 22 years old, scored 66 off 47 balls—two fours and six sixes—as a result of the strategic approach.
“Our coach Sanjay [Bangar] sir had previously sounded me off before the game against the Mumbai Indians. “Agar Bumrah aaya, kya lagta hai, kya ball daalega?” he said. Is that right? In your opinion, what will Bumrah throw to you? How is he going to respond?) ‘He’ll bowl full, the length to flip the ball,’ I remarked.
That’s exactly the ball he bowled to me when he said “yes.” On his podcast, Rawat addressed Manjot Kalra, the champion of the India Under-19 World Cup. “He targeted my legs, but I worked it away for a couple of runs,” Kalra said.
Regarding the knock, the fifty gave me a lot of confidence, and Virat Kohli was at the non-striker end when I arrived, which made it extra special. Before that, I had played three or four games, but after that, I felt more at ease and realized that we truly belonged here.”
Rawat was nervous facing Bumrah
Completing your schoolwork is one thing; putting it into practice is quite another. And that was precisely what was going through Rawat’s thoughts just before he faced Bumrah. With two leg-byes omitted, Rawat faced ten balls from Bumrah and scored seven runs off him. However, Rawat said that he had nervousness despite appearing comfortable against the world’s finest fast bowler.
“I had never previously faced him. It had never happened before. I was very anxious—probably two hundred percent anxious. The child remarked, “Like I said, Sanjay sir had already got me ready, so I was comfortable, but it does hit you a little when you see Bumrah coming in.”
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