Reminiscing his tumultuous childhood days, India pacer Jasprit Bumrah on Wednesday revealed that there was a time when he could only afford just one pair of shoes and T-shirt.

Much before he became the poster boy of India’s pace attack, Bumrah had to endure a tough time after he lost his father at the age of five.

The 25-year-old, who is currently out of action due to a stress fracture on his lower back, and his mother Daljit Bumrah recalled those days of struggle in a video tweeted by Mumbai Indians on Wednesday.

“When he was five-year-old, I lost my husband,” recalled Daljit Bumrah.

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The India cricketer then joined in saying: “After that we couldn’t afford anything. I had one pair of shoes. I used to have one pair of T-shirt. I used to wash them every day and use it again and again.

“So, as a child you know you hear stories that sometimes these things happen that some people come and watch you and you get picked up like this. But it actually happened,” he added.

Bumrah burst into the cricketing scene at the Indian Premier League in 2013 and within six years went on to become world’s number one ranked One-Day International bowler.

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“The first time when I saw him on that IPL match on TV, I couldn’t stop crying. He has seen me struggle financially and physically also,” Daljit recalled.

The Gujarat pacer, who is currently in London to treat his injury, said: “All these tough times make you strong because you’ve seen tougher days before.”

(with PTI inputs)