Michael Clarke put it aptly. “Jasprit Bumrah is the best all-format bowler that I have seen,” he told me. “I can’t bring Glenn McGrath or Wasim Akram into the comparison, because they weren’t around to play [much] T20 cricket. But since the time T20 started, Bumrah is by far the best all-format bowler to play the sport. At one level, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was between Australia and the brilliance of Jasprit Bumrah.”
In some ways, he was right. India won in Perth largely because of the excellence of Bumrah. After getting bowled out for 150, it was the Bumrah spell that turned things around and had Australia on the mat. In fact, all through the series, it was Bumrah who tormented Australia’s batters. So much so that Usman Khawaja, who played a key hand in the Sydney win, said they were elated to not see Bumrah there to bowl in the second innings on the spiciest wicket of the series. In his words, he was “Bumrah-ed” all through the Australian summer.
That’s what makes me say that India should be extremely careful with Bumrah. He is the one player in the current set-up who is indispensable. Not Virat Kohli, not Rohit Sharma, not anyone else. It is Jasprit Bumrah India can’t do without. Now that he is back, we need to make sure he is available for the all-important Test series in England. Load him up, yes, but always have the country’s interests first in mind.
Easier said than done when franchise cricket is as important, but then Bumrah is a rare beast. It is a back injury, and not the first one. For someone with an unconventional action, the chances of back injuries are always there, and with the five-Test series in England just two months away, India can’t afford to risk Bumrah too much.
Bumrah made his long-awaited return, but with Kohli and Patidar in excellent form for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Mumbai Indians fell to another defeat, despite a hurricane partnership between Tilak and Hardik.#MIvsRCB #RCBvsMI #IPL2025 https://t.co/CsIvWwW2WT
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Honestly, I don’t really care how he performs in the IPL. Bumrah is a proud performer and will surely want to play a part for MI. But for someone like him, IPL performances don’t really matter. While I do get why he has to play the IPL, I’m not too fussed about how he does. Some have said he shouldn’t have played the IPL. The truth is, this debate is a non-starter.
Would any leading footballer miss the Champions League? And why is it that we have issues in accepting the IPL as a key cog of the Indian cricket ecosystem? It is India’s only global sports brand, and Bumrah’s presence in the IPL is key not just for his franchise but also for the broadcasters who have spent thousands of crores to secure the rights.
Some might ask why there should be special treatment for Bumrah? The answer is simple – because he is utterly unique. Without him in England, India will be far less competitive. In fact, Bumrah too would know that he will have to shoulder the responsibility for India’s bowling attack in England. Much like in Australia, all the others would be support bowlers at best.
MI vs RCB | RCB survive Hurricane Hardik, break Wankhede jinx | LIVE from Mumbai https://t.co/4gRnHfPWtd
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To go back to Clarke. “While some bowlers are good in certain conditions, Bumrah is at ease in any conditions in any part of the world,” he said. “That’s what makes him a standout option for India. How India deal with Bumrah could well decide the outcome of the India-England series in the summer.”
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