India’s experienced fast bowler Mohammed Shami has downplayed comparisons between Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the two-match Test series. Shami said both the pacers are different and bring different skills to the table.

While Kumar is a swing bowler, who can move the ball both ways, Bumrah relies on his accurate line and length to hunt down his preys. Bumrah was recently ruled out of the Test series against Sri Lanka after suffering a knee injury on the England tour. The ace pacer played two ODIs against England and was ruled out of the third game.

On the other hand, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is currently not part of the Indian team across all formats. Kumar recently scalped 28 wickets in 16 matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and played a key role in taking the franchise to glory. However, the veteran was not even picked for the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe.

Mohammed Shami said on Times Now: “Both are excellent bowlers. Both are different, and both are brilliant. Because I have played with both of them for a long time.”

Shami added, “No, I can’t do that. Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are two completely different bowlers. They have different mindsets and different strengths. Bumrah is naturally aggressive, while Bhuvneshwar is calm and composed. I would love to have both of them as my bowling partners. I don’t want to get involved in this. But if I absolutely had to make a choice, it would depend on the format of the game. If it is T20 format, I will pick Bumrah”Cricket

Meanwhile, Shami has also been ignored by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel. Auqib Nabi Dar replaced injured Bumrah for the Sri Lanka tour but Shami was once again overlooked by the selectors.