NEW DELHI: Despite the scrutiny surrounding Jasprit Bumrah's utilisation this season, Sunrisers Hyderabad's bowling coach, James Franklin, remains unfazed. He emphasises Bumrah's consistent ability to make a significant impact in matches regardless of his bowling strategy.
Mumbai Indians' decision to predominantly deploy Bumrah in the latter stages of innings, sparing him in the powerplay, has sparked discussions about captain Hardik Pandya's tactics.
Nevertheless, Bumrah stands out as a shining beacon for the struggling Mumbai Indians, who find themselves at the bottom of the table with minimal chances of playoff qualification, having won just three out of eleven matches.
"Let's see what sort of tactics Mumbai go with. How they use Bumrah. I know there has been a little bit of debate around about how he gets used, but again, it doesn't really matter where he gets used," Franklin told media in Mumbai during SRH's training session ahead of their clash against Mumbai Indians.
"He has generally a pretty big impact on games. But if we see that showdown, I am sure it will be pretty exciting to watch."
"Those are the sort of contests that not only your team or your coaching staff, but people around the world, journalists, media, you want to watch those contests because it is the best going against the best," Franklin replied when asked about an exciting match-up between Bumrah and SRH batter Travis Head.
Franklin acknowledged the daunting challenge posed by South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen, particularly in the context of Sunrisers Hyderabad's opponents this IPL season.
"With Klaasen, we know how good he has been for the last few years. When we have that sort of dynamism at the top of the order and then we get a good start, that obviously helps someone like Klaasen," he said.
"It is a pretty daunting prospect for most opposition bowling attacks, knowing that if we can get a good start with the bat, they have still got to deal with the likes of Klaasen in the second half of an innings," he added.
Franklin exuded confidence in T Natarajan, the left-arm Indian pacer, emphasising his impressive performances this IPL season. Despite Natarajan's accuracy and effectiveness in the death overs, he was overlooked for India's squad for the T20 World Cup.
Franklin believes Natarajan's consistent displays will continue to bolster his case for national selection.
"There are just so many quality players in India. He can only control what he can. His great strength is obviously his yorker bowling. That is where he is a huge asset for us as a team," he said.
"If he keeps going the way he is going and can hold his form throughout the rest of this IPL, those sorts of conversations around India, they tend to take care of themselves. If he keeps performing, then getting back in that Indian side won't be too far away from it," Franklin added.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians' batter Naman Dhir said that there are no discussions on resting Bumrah for the clash as MI are not expected to make the final four in the tournament and the bowler could do well with some time off.
"Right now there are no talks regarding this, but it's up to (the team) management to take a decision,” he said.
India captain Rohit batted without any visible discomfort for about half an hour, facing throwdown specialists and spinners including Piyush Chawla, as well as net bowlers on Sunday evening here at the Wankhede Stadium.
Rohit, who had a back-related issue, had played as an impact substitute last Friday against Kolkata Knight Riders and Dhir hoped that the former MI skipper has recovered completely.
"He had a stiff back before the last game. The (T20) World Cup is approaching, so for precaution, he played as an impact sub. But he is here for practice today, so I guess he is all fit and fine," Dhir said.
(With PTI inputs)
