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.
Bumrah touched his right index finger to his temple after taking the first of his four wickets in the first over.
This was taken by many as a reference to Rashford. Rashford made the celebrations famous by scoring every time, but others followed his lead from time to time. The Old Trafford-based club mentioned this on social media on their website, saying Bumrah’s actions were a “cheeky nod to his passion for United”. He also added that Bumrah visited his United side in Manchester in 2021, where he was presented with a special shirt with the number 93 on his back.
“It’s unrealistic,” Bumrah said at the time. “When I was a kid watching the Premier League on TV, I always saw this stadium. But when you see it from the front and up close, it’s amazing. You see so many jerseys in that dressing room. It feels really good and it’s great to now have my jersey and sit next to Anthony Martial! It’s a surreal feeling and I want to stay here and watch and learn and enjoy the club I would like to know more about it.”
🇮🇳 @JaspritBumrah93 🤝 @MarcusRashford 🏴#MUFC || #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/XfCZQ7sS2D
– Manchester United (@ManUtd) 11. October 2023
However, after the match, Bumrah said Rashford had not joined in his celebrations. Asked if there was a connection, he said, “No, there is no such thing.” “I felt like it, so I tried it.”
India’s World Cup campaign continues on Saturday, October 14th against Pakistan.
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