Key Points

Neeraj Chopra believes Brett Lee’s bowling speed could translate well to javelin. He also expressed interest in training with Jasprit Bumrah. The Olympic champion recently regained his world no.1 ranking. Neeraj will compete next at the Bengaluru event on July 5.

Key Points: Neeraj Chopra Wants to Try Javelin With Brett Lee and Bumrah

  • Neeraj Chopra praises Brett Lee’s potential in javelin
  • Wants to train with Jasprit Bumrah
  • Reclaims world no.1 ranking ahead of Bengaluru event
  • Crossed 90m mark for first time in 2025
2 min read

I think Brett Lee could throw the javelin well...would like to try with Bumrah too: Neeraj Chopra

Olympic champ Neeraj Chopra says Brett Lee could excel in javelin, seeks exchange with Bumrah while preparing for Bengaluru event.

"I think Brett Lee could throw the javelin well, especially in his peak years. – Neeraj Chopra"

New Delhi, June 30

India's world champion and Olympic gold medalist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Monday shared his pick for the cricketer he believed would be best suited to take up the javelin.

Speaking to JioStar, Neeraj Chopra said, "I have heard that Brett Lee was a javelin thrower. I think he could throw the javelin well, especially when he was in his peak years. I would like to try javelin with Jasprit Bumrah too, and hope he teaches me some bowling skills. While bowling and javelin are both throws, they are very different. I would like to learn from Bumrah."

During his international career, Brett Lee was recognised as one of the fastest bowlers in the world. During his time representing Australia, Lee won multiple ICC titles with the team: the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, and the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy.

Meanwhile, Neeraj will be in action during the 'Neeraj Chopra Classic' at Bengaluru on July 5. He reclaimed his number one spot in men's javelin throw world rankings from Anderson Peters of Grenada following a string of brilliant performances on the international stage.

World Athletics updated the rankings earlier this week, increasing Neeraj's points to 1,445 compared to Peters' tally of 1,431, according to Olympics.com. Also, Pakistan's Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem sits at number four with 1,370 points to his name.

Neeraj lost his top spot to Peters back in September 2024, just shortly after the Paris Olympics, where he attained a silver medal with a throw of 89.45, and Peters took home the bronze.

The year 2025 has been incredible for Neeraj, as he kickstarted with a win at the Potch Invitational in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in April and followed it up with a very special second-place finish at Doha Diamond League, where he crossed the 90-metre mark for the first time ever with a throw of 90.23 m.

He also went on to secure a second spot in the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial in Poland later that month and resumed his winning ways with back-to-back titles at Paris Diamond League and Ostrava Golden Spike this month, with best efforts of 88.16 m and 85.29 m.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
As a sports science student, I must say the biomechanics are quite different between bowling and javelin. But Neeraj's humility in wanting to learn from Bumrah shows why he's such a champion - always eager to improve!
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Aman W
Brett Lee was indeed a javelin thrower in his school days! His raw pace came from that athletic background. Neeraj recognizing this shows his deep understanding of sports. Our golden boy making India proud as always ✨
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Priyanka N
While I love Neeraj's enthusiasm, I hope he doesn't risk injury trying cricket bowling. His javelin career is too precious! Maybe just some light practice under proper supervision. Safety first for our champion!
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Karthik V
This is why Neeraj is different - always learning, always humble. Most athletes at his level would be arrogant, but he's ready to learn from anyone. True sportsman spirit! #Respect
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Nisha Z
Imagine a sports day where our cricket stars try javelin and our javelin star tries bowling! Would be such fun to watch. Star Sports should organize this as a charity event 😄

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