Jasprit Bumrah with Hardik Pandya [Source: AP Photos]Jasprit Bumrah is widely regarded as one of the best pacers in the world. Over the years, Bumrah has delivered match-winning performances for both India and Mumbai Indians. However, Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) turned out to be a disappointing season for the star pacer.Notably, Jasprit Bumrah managed to take only four wickets in 13 matches. In addition, his bowling average of 102.50 and strike rate of 73.5 were far below his usual standards. Moreover, Mumbai Indians also had a difficult campaign this season. The five-time IPL champions failed to qualify for the playoffs and are currently placed ninth on the points table with only eight points from 13 matches.Mahela Jayawardene Explains The ReasonMahela Jayawardene, the head coach of Mumbai Indians, recently explained the reasons behind Jasprit Bumrah’s struggles in IPL 2026. According to Jayawardene, the Indian pacer entered the tournament carrying a slight niggle after the T20 World Cup.“Yeah, I think it’s a combination of a few things. Coming back from the World Cup as well, he had a slight niggle which he played with through the tournament, so we gave him adequate rest after he returned. The first four or five games were a gradual build-up for him to recover fully, and you could see the pace was slightly down because of that,” Jayawardene said in the pre-match press conference.Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah Sidelined From India’s Plans After Poor IPL 2026Jasprit Bumrah Regaining Rhythm and PaceJayawardene further explained that recovering from a minor injury while playing competitive cricket is never easy. Even though Bumrah returned to the field, he still needed time to rebuild his confidence and rhythm.“Now he’s back to his full pace. In the last four or five games, he’s been good. But when you go through something like that, you do lose a bit of sharpness in execution because you’re managing something else alongside,” Mahela Jayawardene said.Interestingly, despite taking only four wickets, Jasprit Bumrah still has the best economy rate among Mumbai Indians bowlers. His economy rate of 8.36 shows that opposition batters were still cautious while facing him.Opposition IPL Teams Changed Their ApproachJayawardene also pointed out another important factor. He said many teams decided not to attack Bumrah aggressively. Instead, batters played him carefully and targeted other bowlers from the opposite end.“Health-wise, he’s 100 percent. Unfortunately, the season is over for us. I also think teams haven’t taken too many risks against him in certain situations, they’ve played him out because we haven’t been able to create enough pressure around him. The bowlers haven’t been able to build that pressure the way we needed to, so tactically teams have approached him differently.“So I can’t say there’s just one reason. It’s been a combination of factors, but I wouldn’t worry about Booms. He’s in good spirits and will come back strong,” Jayawardene added.Conclusion (Rajgeeta's Take)In my opinion, Jasprit Bumrah’s poor season should not be judged too harshly. Notably, he remains one of India’s finest fast bowlers and has consistently delivered for both the national team and Mumbai Indians over the years.It is important to note that Bumrah was the highest wicket-taker for India in the T20 World Cup, picking up 14 wickets and playing an important role in the team’s title-winning campaign. Since Bumrah played through discomfort after the T20 World Cup, as revealed by the Mumbai Indians head coach, it is understandable that his rhythm and sharpness were affected.Since Bumrah is now recovering well and returning to full pace, there is a strong chance that he will bounce back strongly in the coming months. Notably, he is expected to return to action during the England ODI series in July.Also Read: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, Pitch Report, Weather Report for MI vs RR Match 69, IPL 2026
.jpg?type=mq "Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, Pitch Report, Weather Report for MI vs RR Match 69, IPL 2026")
