"If you don't believe in yourself, nobody can help you," said Jasprit Bumrah, the man with an unorthodox action and an unbreakable belief!

For a long time, India was known only for producing world-class batters and wily spinners. However, presently, courtesy Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian team is equally renowned around the world for its potent crop of fast bowlers. One of the most prolific of the lot is Gujarat's Bumrah.

It was a usual overseas tour, a familiar struggle, and it just seemed like the best possible moment for Jasprit 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-ball and street cricket. His unique action makes it tough for the batters to pick him early, whereas his deadly yorkers and deceptive slower deliveries add icing on the cake.

Jasprit Bumrah’s Biography and Early Career

Born on December 6, 1993, to a Sikh family in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Jasprit lost his father, Jasbir Bumrah, at the age of five. This caused the family to struggle financially for a long time.  

Jasprit's mother, Daljit, raised him and his sister, Juhika, single-handedly. Bumrah attended Nirman High School in Vastrapur, Ahmedabad, where his mother worked as the vice principal. This is where the premium fast-bowler started to play the game of cricket. 

In an interview with Dennis Lillee, back in 2019, Jasprit Bumrah expressed his love for bowling, contrary to the usual inclination towards batting. He said, “As a kid, I was like anybody else, playing cricket, enjoying it. The only difference is, right from when I can remember, I always used to love bowling.” 

Believing in himself, Bumrah continued playing cricket despite the adversity. Jasprit Bumrah’s domestic career began in December 2011, when he made his Under-19 debut for the Gujarat state team. By March 2013, he had made his T20 debut for Gujarat against Maharashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Moreover, Bumrah made his List A debut for an India Under-23 team against Pakistan in August 2011. His first-class debut, for Gujarat against Vidarbha in October 2011, saw him take 7 wickets in an innings victory for his team. He continued to play for Gujarat and took 5 wickets in the final of the 2015 Vijay Hazare Trophy, which Gujarat won.

Jasprit Bumrah’s IPL Career

Jasprit Bumrah marked his debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on April 4, 2013, against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, marking a memorable start by dismissing Virat Kohli in his first over and finishing with figures of 3/32, kickstarting his career with the franchise he's played for ever since.  

It is important to note that, in just Jasprit Bumrah’s second match in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (2023) against a strong Mumbai team, his death-bowling skills were noticed by the then-Mumbai Indians coach John Wright, who signed him up for the team. Thus, Bumrah featured on Mumbai’s 2013 IPL title-winning team.

Nonetheless, he didn’t become 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 in death-over bowling.

Jasprit Bumrah’s Domestic Career

Over the years, Bumrah, with his unorthodox action, 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. 

Bumrah has contributed to the Mumbai franchise, finishing as the team's highest wicket-taker in three of their IPL title wins (2017, 2019, and 2020). 

Jasprit Bumrah’s White-Ball Career

After exploding in the cash-rich IPL, Bumrah worked his way up to a much-deserved India call-up. Jasprit Bumrah made his international debut in the ODI and T20I formats within a few days of each other on India’s tour of Australia in 2015–16.

Undoubtedly, Bumrah has a knack for taking the most valuable wickets. Playing his maiden ODI on January 23, 2016, the Indian pacer took the wicket of Australian star batter Steve Smith. Similarly, on his T20I debut on January 26, 2016, he took three wickets, in which his first wicket was that of David Warner.

More good performances saw him make it into the 2016 T20 World Cup squad. Since then, he has been a mainstay for the Indian cricket team. 

However, a rare error in the 2017 Champions Trophy final: Bumrah’s no-ball reprieved Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman, causing one of the greatest heartbreaks for Indian supporters against the arch-rivals. In the courtesy of Zaman’s century, Pakistan went on to win the title. 

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. 

Japrit 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 operating at his best, giving it his all and making up for the matches he had 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-before-seen 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.

He finally won an ICC trophy at the 2024 T20I World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. Again, Bumrah's performance in the tournament 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.

On top of that, 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 India, 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.

Jasprit Bumrah’s Test Career

Initially in his career, there were a lot of preconceived notions about Bumrah being more of a white-ball bowler, but he broke those stereotypes in just 12 months. 

Considering Bumrah’s white-ball performances, the Indian selectors were 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, during which he took 14 wickets in three matches. As a reward for such performances, Bumrah was named in both the ICC ODI and Test Teams of the Year in 2018. 

Bumrah sizzled against the West Indies by registering figures of 5/7 in a Test before taking a hat-trick in the next match. However, due to the back injury, he missed several assignments, and India felt his absence in the World Test Championship 2021–23 final against Australia.

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. 

During the England tour of 2025, Bumrah participated in just three Tests, despite being in extraordinary form, due to workload management. The maestro seamer snapped his first five-wicket haul at Lord’s on that tour.

Jasprit Bumrah’s Awards and Honours

For his exceptional contribution to Indian cricket in the past decade or so, Jasprit Bumrah has received major awards, including the ICC Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Men's Cricketer of the Year and ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year for 2024. 

For his stellar performances, leading India to the T20 World Cup win, and topping Test wicket charts, he was honoured with the Polly Umrigar Award (BCCI's top honour) three times, in 2018–19, 2021–22, and 2023-24. He also earned spots in ICC Teams of the Year (Test, T20I) and was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2022.

(As of February 2026)