In an Instagram live chat with former India batsman Yuvraj Singh, the No.2-ranked ODI bowler said that it was often suggested to him that he would never play for India.

“Many people told me that I won’t play for long, there was an expectation that the last person to play for the country would be me,” Bumrah said.

“They told me that I would just play the Ranji Trophy. But I kept on improving and I persisted with my action.”

While he did first draw attention with his unorthodox action, Bumrah’s skills soon took centre-stage, as he announced his talents to the world at the Indian Premier League, where he learned his trade from one of the best white-ball practitioners in Lasith Malinga, before making his India debut in January 2016.

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Bumrah arrived carrying the initial perception of being a white-ball specialist, much like Malinga, and possessed a similar ability to hit the blockhole at demand.

However, his first-class record, which had largely been unheralded was already top-notch, and Bumrah soon proved to the world that he is more than a one-dimensional limited-overs death specialist, playing 16 Tests for India so far, picking 68 wickets.

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Bumrah has snared over 200 international wickets in his four-year international career. He was also ranked world No.1 in ODIs before being displaced from the position by New Zealander Trent Boult.