Brett Lee humbles himself after Neeraj Chopra’s praise, says ‘nowhere near’ Indian javelin star

This reply came after Chopra picked him among the cricketers he thinks will do well as javelin throwers. Asked which cricketer he thinks would be able to throw the javelin, 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,” said Neeraj who is hosting NC Classic in Bengaluru on July 5, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event.

Chopra has returned to India for the Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025, which follows back-to-back wins at the Paris Diamond League and Ostrava Golden Spike. He also said he would love to try javelin throw with Indian star pacer Jasprit Bumah and hope to learn bowling tricks from him. “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,” he said to Star Sports.

Asked whether he’s superstitious, Chopra said, “I try to stay calm on the day of my event. I don’t think too much about it. I just focus on giving my 100%. I try to stay relaxed, eat good food, and rest well.” After throwing 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League for a second-place finish on May 16, Chopra won the Paris DL title with an effort of 88.16m. He then won the Golden Spike Ostrava title with a throw of 85.29m on June 24.

The world champion Indian, who joined the 90m club headed by Zelezny at the Doha Diamond League in May, said the legendary MS Dhoni’s ‘Helicopter Shot’ resembles a javelin throw in terms of power and technique.

(With inputs from agency)