Quotes from Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Preparation goes on even when you are out of the team, as you can do it anywhere.

Bumrah has a different action, which creates problems for the batsmen. He has improved a lot of things with his action. He had these yorkers, and slower ones earlier as well, but he has improved a lot.

Whatever knuckle ball I have bowled, I wanted batsmen to go after that. That way, you can get wickets, and that's one of the main reasons why I have been successful in power plays.

When I was a youngster, Praveen Kumar was in the same club as me, and because we are similar bowlers, I learnt a lot from him. We used to have conversations, but not a lot. What was very helpful was observing what he was bowling, the kind of fields he had, and what his thinking was.

As a bowler, you want to go and bowl in helpful conditions in South Africa, England, and Australia. But it is also important to bowl in the right areas, and they differ from bowler to bowler, depending on conditions and the opposition.

When I started playing cricket, I knew that my physique is not at all like a typical fast bowler. My body language is also different, and I am not aggressive by nature; thus, my focus was always on my skills.

T20 is a game where you must expect the unexpected.

I'm a sports lover. Not just cricket - I play badminton and football, too. When I get some time off, I prefer to play sports rather than working out.

In my mind, I work out situations. Like, how I should play if I bat for four overs, or how should I approach myself if its 10 overs. These are things I work at the nets.

All bowlers depend on movement, and I am no exception.

As a bowling unit, you get a lot of confidence if the spinners and pacers are bowling as a team.

There are many things that you just observe while watching Steyn. Just seeing him bowl is a great learning in itself.

As a new ball bowler, it's my job to stick to the basics.

When you create pressure in the previous over for your partner to strike, it is sometimes as satisfying as picking up a wicket yourself.

The Oval has always been a good batting track, and there's not much for the bowlers.

I never think that I have to be at top every time. Obviously, I have to do well in every game and series; that's what I try to do. I try to improve and work on the swing and variation in my bowling.

If you bowl good yorkers in nets and come up with good variation, it helps your on-field performance.

T20 cricket is all about using variations, and timing has to be perfect.

There has definitely been an improvement in my bowling in terms of pace and variations like the slower ball and knuckle-ball. To add to that, I have improved fitness-wise.

As to adding variations to my white ball bowling, ever since I started playing IPL, I realised you need variations. You can't survive on line and length. You need coaches around you who can guide you to get there. I have been lucky that I have had seniors and coaches who have helped me get there.

I am grateful to Allan Donald for his guidance and subtle nuances that he taught me.

I have learnt a lot from Praveen Kumar.