Jasprit Bumrah

It was a usual overseas tour, a usual struggle, and it just seemed like the best possible moment for Bumrah to enter the scene. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar suffering an injury, Bumrah made his debut in the fifth ODI against Australia in Sydney in 2016. The Gujarat gun made an immediate impression with two wickets, and it has been a fantastic ride ever since for the India seamer. 

Until that fifth ODI, Bumrah was a domestic and IPL bowler who excited fans with his unorthodox slinging action. It is a bowling action that’s hard to teach. Upon scrutiny, it is a result of modern-day tennis and street cricket. The coaches must be lauded for not tampering with the unique aspect of bowling. It has been very common for coaches to stick to traditional methods and try to bring in unique talents into the old-school web, but Bumrah was lucky.

Bumrah’s IPL side, the Mumbai Indians (MI), have always been known for unearthing unknown talent, and a lot of that credit has to go to the former Indian coach and MI scout John Wright. It was Wright who identified Bumrah during the 2013 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Bumrah made a superb entry into IPL cricket against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2013 by dismissing Virat Kohli as part of his three-wicket haul. He never became a regular member of the MI set-up until the 2016 season. However, the academy of learning, the IPL, allowed Bumrah to learn from Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, especially with respect to death-over bowling.

With IPL opportunities not on his side, Bumrah worked his way up through some solid outings in domestic cricket. In the 2015 season, the pace bowler starred across the three domestic formats and even helped Gujarat lift the Vijay Hazare Trophy by scalping 21 wickets in just nine matches.

Going back to the India tour of Australia during the 2015-16 season, Bumrah’s rise was quick. Bumrah got another break as he was announced as the replacement for the injured Mohammad Shami in the T20I squad. He made the best use of the opportunity by finishing the three-match T20I series as the leading wicket-taker with 6 scalps. More good performances saw him make it into the 2016 World T20 squad.

All this while, the Indian selectors would have been tempted to give Bumrah a Test cap, but it was only in South Africa in 2018 that he was able to make his maiden appearance in the long format of the game. The skiddy pacer made an immediate impression in red-ball cricket and led India to a win in Johannesburg before helping the team seal a historic 2-1 series victory in Australia. In between these tours, Bumrah also had a productive series against England, in which he picked up 14 wickets in three matches. There were a lot of preconceived notions about Bumrah being more of a white-ball bowler, but he broke those stereotypes in a matter of just 12 months. 

As a reward for such performances, Bumrah was named in both the ICC ODI and Test Teams of the Year in 2018. Going into the World Cup year in 2019, naturally, there were a lot of expectations from Bumrah, and he did deliver by picking up 18 wickets in nine matches.

Post-tournament, Bumrah sizzled against the West Indies by registering figures of 5/7 in a Test before taking a hat-trick in the next match. 

At the IPL level, Bumrah has grown into a player who is regarded as a cornerstone of the success of the Mumbai Indians. The composure and skill shown by Bumrah against Chennai Super Kings in the final of IPL 2019 were lauded by one and all as he went on to bag the ‘Man of the Match’ award for his exemplary spell.  

While Bumrah’s career was flowing on the lines of a fairytale, a back injury ruled him out of the 2022 T20 World Cup and further kept him out of action for almost 11 months. In this period, he missed several assignments, with India feeling his absence in the World Test Championship 2021–23 final versus Australia.

Bumrah returned to action in the T20I series against Ireland in August 2023, and it seemed as if he was never away. Match by match, he started to operate at his best, giving it his all and making up for the matches he missed due to the injury.

The premier seamer paired up with Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, forming a never-seen-before Indian pace trio. With his fiery pace and on-point lines and lengths, Bumrah ticked all boxes, emerging as one of India’s biggest match-winners. He took 20 wickets in 11 matches at an impressive economy of 4.06.

Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers for the Mumbai Indians, taking 20 wickets in 13 matches. The pacer, who had missed the former T20 World Cup, was named in the Indian squad for the marquee event. Bumrah's performance in the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup was nothing short of extraordinary. He played a key role in India's victorious campaign, finishing with 15 wickets at a stunning economy rate of 4.17 runs per over. His exceptional control and wicket-taking ability throughout the tournament earned him the Player of the Tournament award, making him the first cricketer to win the accolade in a T20 World Cup without scoring a single run.

One of Bumrah’s most crucial performances came in the final against South Africa, where he took 2 wickets for just 18 runs. He dismissed Reeza Hendricks early and later bowled Marco Jansen at a critical juncture, shifting the momentum in India's favour. With South Africa needing 30 runs off 30 balls, his miserly death-over spell ensured India clinched their second T20 World Cup title. 

In the group-stage match against Pakistan, Bumrah once again proved his mettle, returning figures of 3/14. Defending a modest total of 119, he dismissed key players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, choking Pakistan’s chase with his tight lines and unplayable deliveries. His spell was instrumental in India’s thrilling six-run victory.

Bumrah’s record-breaking numbers showcased his dominance. He bowled 110 dot balls out of 178 deliveries, maintaining a 61.80% dot-ball percentage, the highest in the tournament. He also conceded only 12 boundaries (10 fours and 2 sixes) throughout the tournament– a testament to his incredible control.

In September 2024 during Bangladesh's Test tour to Indian, Bumrah reached a significant career milestone by claiming his 400th international wicket. This achievement made him only the 10th Indian bowler and the sixth Indian pacer to reach this landmark.

The paceman’s performance in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy was a masterclass in fast bowling. During the Melbourne Test, Bumrah achieved a significant personal milestone by becoming the fastest Indian fast bowler to reach 200 Test wickets. He reached this landmark in just 44 Tests, surpassing the legendary Kapil Dev, who got there in 50 Tests.

With regular skipper Rohit Sharma unavailable, Bumrah led India in the series opener at Perth. Despite India's first-innings total of 150, Bumrah's incisive bowling dismantled Australia's top order, claiming 4 wickets for 12 runs and restricting them to 104. 

In the final Test at Sydney, with India trailing 2-1, Bumrah again assumed captaincy as Rohit Sharma rested. Bumrah's aggressive approach set the tone, and he promptly dismissed Usman Khawaja for two runs. However, India's batting faltered, managing only 185 runs, with Australia's Scott Boland taking four wickets. The match's outcome was pivotal for India's hopes in the series and the World Test Championship final. 

Despite India's 3-1 series loss, Bumrah's individual brilliance stood out, earning him the Player of the Series award. 

In preparation for the IPL 2025 season, MI reaffirmed their confidence in Bumrah by retaining him for a substantial sum of INR 18 crore. This decision underscores the franchise's recognition of his pivotal role in their bowling lineup.

The franchise and fans alike are hopeful for Bumrah's swift recovery, anticipating his return to bolster MI's quest for their sixth IPL title.

(As of April 2025)