Jasprit Bumrah has insisted that his ‘finger to the head’ celebration after dismissing Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran during India’s second World Cup game wasn’t inspired by Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford.

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After nicking off the opener to claim the first of four wickets, Bumrah, whose own trademark celebration is to run with his palms out to the sides and facing upwards, put his right forefinger to his temple.

This was taken by many as a nod to Rashford, who has made the celebration famous, doing so each time he scores with others sometimes following in his lead. The Old Trafford-based club made reference to this on social media on their website, saying that Bumrah’s act was “a cheeky nod to his passion for United.” They further added that Bumrah had visited Manchester United in 2021, where he was presented with a personalised No.93 shirt.

“It’s unreal,” Bumrah said at the time. “As a child, when I used to watch the Premier League on the television, I’ve always seen this stadium. But to see it up front and at close quarters, is great. This dressing room, it feels really good to see all these jerseys, and I’ve got my own jersey now, sitting next to Anthony Martial, which is great! It’s an unreal feeling, and I wish I could just stay here and watch and learn and know a lot more about it [the club].”

However, speaking after play, Bumrah said Rashford was not behind his celebration. “No, nothing like that,” he said when asked if there was a link. “I just felt like it, so I did it.”

India’s World Cup campaign continues on Saturday, October 14, against Pakistan.

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