England fast bowler Tymal Mills has heaped praise on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, describing the two Indian batting giants as among the finest players the game has ever produced. Mills made the remarks in an interview while reflecting on his two separate stints in the Indian Premier League.
Mills played five matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2017, taking five wickets at an average of 30.60 and an economy rate of 8.57. He returned to the IPL in 2022 with Mumbai Indians, again playing
five matches and claiming six wickets at an average of 31.66, though his economy rate rose to 11.17 in that campaign. The two stints gave Mills a close-up view of both Kohli and Rohit in their home conditions, an experience he described as invaluable to his development as a bowler.
"Two of the best players to have ever played the game, particularly in white-ball cricket in India. They are masters playing in those conditions. It was a great experience to learn and to be around those guys. It came at two very different points in my career, RCB back in 2017 and then MI in 2022," Mills said in an interview with Crex.
What did Mills say about Jasprit Bumrah?
Mills also singled out Jasprit Bumrah as the standout bowler across all formats of the game. Having shared a dressing room with Bumrah during his 2022 season at Mumbai Indians, Mills had a close-up view of how the India pacer prepares and performs at the highest level, and he left that experience with a clear verdict on where Bumrah stands among the world's best.
"I think Bumrah stands out across formats. I was lucky enough to spend that season with him at Mumbai and get up close and see how he goes about it. He's got such a high skill level and can bowl as quick as anybody on his day as well. The great thing is that he can do it across formats. For me, Bumrah is probably the best in the world," Mills said.
Does Mills want to return to the IPL?
Mills is currently playing for Glasgow Cosmics in the European T20 Premier League and has expressed a clear desire to return to the IPL if the opportunity arises. He pointed to his pace and fitness in the current year as reasons for optimism, including a stint in the SA20 where he felt his bowling was in good shape. His comments suggest he remains ambitious about competing at the highest level of franchise cricket despite being at a later stage of his career.
"Yeah, I'd love to. I want to play the best cricket that I can for as long as I can. My pace has been good this year. I bowled in the SA20, and I felt really good there. I'm not looking too far ahead. I just want to stay fit and play as much high-level cricket as I can, and if that brings me back to the IPL, then amazing. I'd love to come back to India. It's an amazing place to play cricket," Mills said.
