Jasprit Bumrah’s hunt for a Japanese pillow prompts hilarious banter with wife Sanjana

“How are you feeling?” asked Axar Patel.

“The mast,” replied Jasprit Bumrah.

When asked how he spends his time in Japan, the Indian fast bowler had a rather unusual answer. As the team prepared for the Asian Games, Bumrah found himself in a Japanese bedding studio where he had a custom pillow made, with Axar as the cameraman.

It wasn’t exactly like we walked into a store, grabbed a pillow and headed out. Specialists at the bed studio measured Bumrah’s neck, back and other contours to determine what kind of support would suit him. Axar captured the entire process in a light-hearted Instagram video.

Bumrah seemed to be enjoying the experience, even joking about the complicated process.

“A special pillow for old people,” he said in the video.

Temper also shared a glimpse of the trip on Instagram with the caption, “The art of finding the right pillow.” At one point, when Axar was still behind the camera, Bumrah told his teammate, “Mere baad tu hai.”

The pillow hunt soon became more than just a joke between teammates. Bumrah’s wife and broadcaster Sanjana Ganesan noticed the post and had a question for her husband.

“Did you come ALL THE WAY to Japan to do that?” she commented, adding a laughing emoji.

Naturally, Bumrah was not going to let it go.

“I won’t share a pillow if you ask,” he replied.

The exchange quickly became a talking point on social media and added some humor to India’s stay in Japan as the team prepares for their Asian Games campaign.

There’s plenty of cricket on the agenda too, of course. India has started preparations for the Asian Games historic one-off T20I against Japan on Tuesdaybut what was expected to be a straightforward climb turned into a thrilling finish. The rain-affected match was reduced to five overs a side, with India posting 32/4 before Japan came agonizingly close to finish on 30/3. India won by just two runs, with Axar Patel conceding just two runs in the final over to help seal the win.

Bumrah has not featured in this game for five matches, but he and the rest of the team now turn their attention to the main event. Defending men’s T20 champions India have a direct entry to the quarter-finals, with the first match of the Asian Games scheduled for September 28. They will face the other team from Group A, which consists of Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal.

For now, though, Bumrah seems to have one small thing sorted out before the serious business begins: the perfect cushion.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

23 Sep 2026 16:10 IST