Gautam Gambhir's profound tribute to the Indian star: 'Beyond luxury, a true honor'

India head coach Gautam Gambhir praised Jasprit Bumrah, calling him a game-changer in any format. He expressed his gratitude for having a bowler like Bumrah in the team, who can turn the match around at any stage. Bumrah has earned the reputation of being the best all-format bowler currently, thanks to his outstanding performances in both red and white-ball cricket. His crucial role in India's T20 World Cup victory was highlighted, where his exceptional bowling spells helped India clinch the title, including the final match. Bumrah finished the tournament with an impressive tally of 15 wickets in eight matches, with an average of 8.26.

Bumrah got the much-deserved rest after the T20 World Cup, and now he is all set to return to the Indian team's first Test against Bangladesh, which will kick off at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on September 19.

Gambhir, who took over the coaching charge of the Indian team during the Sri Lanka tour, shared his first impression of Bumrah after having him on his first red-ball assignment as the team's head coach.

"Bumrah is the best fast bowler in the world in all three formats. It has not happened many times in India that we have started talking about bowlers now. It has always been about batters. India, at one stage, was a batter-obsessed nation. You have to give credit to Bumrah, [Mohammed] Shami, [Mohammed] Siraj, [Ravichandran] Ashwin, and [Ravindra] Jadeja," Gambhir said in the pre-match press conference.

While many referred to Bumrah as a luxury to have in the team but Gambhir said it's an honour to have him in the side and sitting in the dressing room.

"I think what he has done in T20 format in West Indies to what he can do in red-ball cricket, what he did against England. So I feel that yes, it is actually not even a luxury. I think it's really an honour that we've got someone like Bumrah playing for us and sitting in that dressing room. We can make a change, we can make a difference at any stage of the game. So yes, hopefully, we can do the same in this series and going forward as well," he added.