Reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has an advice for his favourite fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah on how he can generate more pace. Neeraj, who was present during the ODI World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium picked Bumrah as his favourite fast bowler. "I like Jasprit Bumrah, I find his action unique," he said on the Indian Express' Idea Exchange. Jasprit Bumrah was at his intimidating best during the World Cup. he picked up 20 wickets in the tournament. However, Chopra feels one tiny tweak could help his favourite fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah increase pace. "I feel he should lengthen his run-up to add more pace," he said. "As a javelin thrower, we often discuss how bowlers can increase their pace if they start their run-up from a little further back. I like Bumrah’s style." On his experience as a fan to attent the World Cup final between India and Australia, Neeraj said: "This was the first time I watched a match fully. When I was on the flight, India had lost three wickets already. Virat (Kohli) bhai and KL Rahul were batting when I reached. There are some technical things that I don’t understand. "Batting in the daytime wasn’t very easy. In the evening, I think, batting became easy. But our guys tried. Sometimes, it’s just not our day. But, frankly, everyone had a great tournament. Maybe, somewhere mentally, the Australian team held an edge at the start. When they bowled, I found they had a strong mindset. In the end, they had completely flipped it over. They were confident about their game," he added. Neeraj also spoke about not appearing on the big screen that was picturing many of the celebrities who attended the match. Was he happy that he wasn't the centre of attention or did he think they could have put him on the big screen a few times? "I want them to show me when I compete. When I participate in the Diamond League they don’t telecast it properly," he quipped. "Woh cheez hai asli (that’s the real deal). At that time, they only show highlights. I went to Ahmedabad just to watch the match and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would have obviously enjoyed it more had India won, but I had a good time in the stands. I never wanted the camera to pan towards me, that thought didn’t even cross my head." He also added that one of his big hopes is to soon compete in an athletics event in India, something he hasn't had a chance to since winning the gold medal at Tokyo Olympics. "I have a strong desire to compete in India," he said. "I really want India to host a big international event and the federation is also trying. Everyone is keen on seeing India host a big-ticket event. I hope it happens in the future and I am really looking forward to competing in India against international athletes in front of fans." Neeraj Chopra is only the the third javelin thrower in history to hold both the Olympic and World Championships titles after world record holder Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic and Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway.
